It ain't no good remake and it ain't no Goodfellas.

Rating: 6/10 (15 October 2006)

Compared to the original, Infernal Affairs, the Departed is a much weaker film: it lacks a whole lot of style and grace. This not only goes for the directing, but also for the main actors, Leonardo DiCaprio (well, he is at least 'okay' for the very first time) and Matt Damon (who is, as always, eh, Matt Damon). In Infernal Affairs the relationship between the two characters is much more layered en also much more equal: the viewer can feel for both of them. In the case of the Departed there is one hero in a very black and white setting.
The greatest disappointment of the movie is perhaps the way Jack Nicholson is allowed to be completely over the top in every scene he's in and do all the tricks we've seen him do over and over again. Why didn't Scorsese tell him to tone it down? All Nicholson has to do to be impressive is walk into a room, he doesn't need all that other stuff (which is proved in About Schmidt). And the thing he does in the porn theater: come on! Since when are wrap-party- jokes put in movies? No, the Departed ain't no Goodfellas.