Overrated. Unfortunately, overexcessive swearing and violence makes this film too unrealistic. Scorsese is starting to lack polish in his films.

While the original Hong Kong version was plausible due to their cultural standards, Scorsese's version was way below imaginable standards. While the HK verison had some plot devices, there was a lot implausible gaps and forced concepts that didn't work out in the American version. Like a boss sitting in the front of a car so the mole can communicate in the back. A gang boss will never sit in the front of a car! Using cell-phones to bring down a gang is just lame and un-inspiring! Colin Sullivan, who claimed to not be able to use the password on his computer all of a sudden uses it to delete Costigans profile on his very own computer seconds later. The list goes on and gets very tiresome to mention. Didn't anyone review these forced issues and plotholes before making the film? That's right, they just tried to copy IA, forgetting about the lost in translation consequences. Its a shame that America never bothered to release the IA trilogy instead in theaters. The original stories encompassed balanced story-telling, better suspense and emotional content, slick cat-and mouse chase, psychological dept, and well-developed and intriguing characters. We also get to see how being in the police and triads truly bring grief in their lives. The Departed was done sloppy in comparison only saved by typical Scorsese violence and swearing. The characters in Departed were lame and boring. Billy Costigan (Leo Dicpario) is the only character probably that got his role right. Matt Damon, a good actor, had a very dull and typical bad guy character in comparison to Andy Lau's tormented role in IA. Martin Sheen was a poor father figure and a watse of time. and of course, there are other lame, pointless filler characters that aren't worth mentioning. Sadly, Scorsese will get praises from the audience no matter how he makes his films. Had Scorsese's name not been on the director's list, this film would had got a worser rating. All in all, it was IA that was more realistic. People say Departed is, but tell yourself this, not one person swears that much, nor do you see bloodshed like that in reality. 4 guys getting bullets in their heads one after another? There was a reason why IA had the bullet in the head scenerio but Scorsese and Monahan just really never knew what it meant, did they?… Expand

I really wish someone would explain to me how this is a good movie. Is the acting great? You bet. Direction? Sure. But, how about this... There is absolutely no way in my mind that the events portrayed in the movie could ever be considered believable. Leonardo DiCaprios character wouldn't have survived any longer than the amount of time it took Jack Nicholson to find him after hearing that there was a rat in the group. Secondly, if there is a leak in a department, they would bring in from outside the group to investigate, not just tell the guy in charge to do it. I dislike this movie only for the reason that I find it amazingly unbelievable and ludicrous.… Expand

One of Scorsese's most brilliant works. It may be an adaptation, but the rebirth is stronger like a phoenix. Strong, strong acting, excellent directing, and involving storyline make this mob thriller one of the highlight films of the year.

Mr. Scorsese just put me in a position, after watching this movie, to be appalled at how gruesome and unnecessarily violent this movie is, or to say, "What a masterpiece!" I think I'll go with the latter.

For once ,I agree with the negative reviews here. I simply didn't like the film and Scorsese's way beyond fictional views. I don't see how anyone could give this film a 8 or above.

Why is Mark Wahlberg affecting a Bostonian accent in this movie: he's FROM Boston! And, as usual, Scorcese can't direct a believable female character at all. Ever. This-- ALL this said-- it is certainly a better movie than his post-2000 attempts: the tedious GANGS OF NY and the unwatchable THE AVIATOR...faint praise, indeed.

Not necessary. Martin, William, leonardo, Matt, Mark, and Jack put together a performance that goes way over the top and totally unexpected. But 90 minutes in the movie, you can expect the violent killings at the end due to a non-stop functional randomly made-up look into crazy lives that is impossibly accurate.

Martin Scorsese is obsessed with sinful everything. This movie is written, and every character never does follow the ten commandments, only the devils.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Bottom Line: Crime film is very thrilling, hard to stop watching. Deserving of its Best Picture Oscar. Scorsese directs a violent update of the well-known Chinese mob film, INFERNAL AFFAIRS, from just four years prior. Set in Boston, Massachusetts, the story tells of a mob boss named Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) who sends out a criminal, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). Simultaneously, the local police have sent out Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) to infiltrate Costello’s mob. Recently, I saw a few Best Picture winners, namely TERMS OF ENDEARMENT, that I thought were acceptable, but not good enough to win the most anticipated Academy Award. I feared, therefore, that it would be the same case with THE DEPARTED. How wrong I was! This film started off a little slow (the actual title didn’t show for almost twenty minutes), but by the thirty-minute mark, it was absolutely deserving of four stars. (And I would do anything to see another crime film like this!) I’ve heard from a few websites now that The Departed 2 is being made. Really? By the way this film ended, there’s no way a sequel would work, unless it ties in to its predecessor in no way. (Which technically means it won’t work, so I rest my case.) Don’t get me wrong, I loved THE DEPARTED; the fact, though, that a sequel should be made is absolutely inconceivable. The cast for this film was simply phenomenal. Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin. Great performances, too, are delivered from these actors, observing that casts typically don’t work out so well when they are studded with stars. Before this, the only Martin Scorsese film I had seen was SHINE A LIGHT, his Rolling Stones documentary. Seeing one of his true pictures was astounding, to say the least. The musical soundtrack in this film was often hard to recognize, but nevertheless well-done. There were only a few songs that I could name, which were The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelterâ€�; Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numbâ€�; and Dropkick Murphys’ “I’m Shipping Up to Bostonâ€�, which I first heard on this film’s SIMPSONS parody; but as there was little musical score, the music supported almost every single scene. Overall, THE DEPARTED was very enjoyable. Every moment was exciting, thrilling, and intriguing; and even at two and a half hours, it never runs overlong.… Expand

The film is not a film like taxi driver or Raging bull but, it is instead a regular crime thriller film with scorcesse's special touch. This film would have been just an average film if it werent for 2 things. Scorcesse's direction and the acting ensemble. The films writting is also masterful but, it works extremely well because of the acting. Overall a great film.

It was a great movie with great acting by the masters. Ending was terrible! We needed to see what was in that envelope that DiCaprio gave to the girl!!!! Not sure why Matt Walburg, if he was a good cop, didn't bring him in. Why the covers on his shoes and the cap:???????

*MILD SPOILERS* It's an entertaining movie until the "last act" of the movie which devolves pretty quickly into something that is rather silly and pointless. The ending of a movie can make or break a movie and consider this movie thoroughly broken. I left the movie theater feeling hollow and that the first 100 minutes of the movie were a waste. It's a shame that this is what Scorcese came up with in the end. It really felt like a cop-out . If you don't like senseless violence, and I do mean senseless, you might want to steer clear of this one. You'll probably enjoy it if you are thoroughly desensitized to violence and the value of human life. I like to enjoy my moviegoing experience, not leave with this nihislitc feeling of "What's the point???"… Expand

I went to see this fim because I like the work of the leads and the Director, but in my opinion this was a complete waste of time. Lame, actors doing a job for their fees, no tension of any sort, and lots of distracting blood, guts, swearing and women with their heads in the laps of smelly old men - the main point of which seemed to be to distract from the emptiness of the whole event. I enjoyed the original. Hire it. Don't waste your money on this one.… Expand

Caught The Departed last night and I have to say, its one abject failure of a remake. I was expecting it to be good, and truth be told, I wanted it to be good because it is based on Hongkong’s Infernal Affairs, quite possibly one of the best gang flicks of all time. It is one of my personal favorites due to its brilliantly conceived plot of gang versus police, replete with paranoia and deceit. It is also quite possibly, one of the most intelligent films I have ever seen (second to Memento). Where do I even begin? There are just so many things to criticize about. Firstly, the utterly realistic characters in Infernal Affairs have been reduced to one dimensional vectors that merely carry the plot forward. Matt Damon’s character was reduced to a bad ass villain and was almost gleefully ridding anyone who knew of his identity, with no hint of remorse even till the very end. In Infernal Affairs however, at the end of the film, Andy Lau truly wanted to be a good guy but obviously, circumstances did not allow him to, and therefore he was forced to kill the gang boss to protect his identity. He subsequently went crazy over the guilt of killing the police informant (Tony Leung, or Leornado in Departed). Infernal Affairs ended brilliantly because Andy Lau’s character survived it all with no one knowing his true identity. He could therefore assume his role of a high-ranking police officer, but was ridden with guilt and constantly reminded of the people who died because of him. It was really tragic and you could almost sympathize with his character. And what’s with the ending of The Departed?!! Do all Hollywood films have to have perfect fairy tale endings where the bad guy has to die? And even if he has to die, does it have to conclude with an abrupt scene that lasts 30secs, and not to mention, totally cheesy and lame. It seems like a quick way out to conclude the story. The climax at the lift in the abandoned building was also unintentionally funny as body counts skyrocketed as people just started dying ridiculously. The reaction that people had in that scene in Infernal Affairs was true shock…’Oh my god!’. The reaction in Departed was quite the opposite – people started laughing! Also, the strange and awkward friendship between the police informant’s boss and the gang boss was completely removed in the Departed. It was so enjoyable watching how the 2 former friends who are currently on opposite ends of the law, try to outplay each other in a full-fledged war of wits and power, but with grace as a result of their friendship in the past. This was COMPLETELY omitted in the Hollywood version. And also, there was a lack of tension between the police force and the gangs. Martin Sheen seems almost weak and hapless against Jack Nicholson and Nicholson himself appears barely sinister and intelligent. Another stupid omission was the friendship between the police informant and his boss, which was meticulously staged in Infernal Affairs, and culminated in a tragic climax when the boss fell off the building and landed right in front of the informant. This scene was attempted in Departed but failed miserably when Leornado tried to look sad when his boss died. There was no friendship to speak of between these 2 characters in Departed!!! The movie also tries way too hard to entertain. The crazy antics of Jack Nicholson is reminiscent of his character in Anger Management. Yes, Anger management, that rubbish of a comedy. And I do not understand why there are so much sexual references in the movie. There is sex, women and porno everywhere in the movie and is completely unnecessary and downright insulting. Gritty realism is not achieved by dumping sex scenes in the movie. I can go on and on and criticizing about almost every single aspect in the movie (like how unnecessary the role of the psychiatrist in the Departed was, but completely pivotal in Infernal Affairs etc.), and might as well write a thesis on this movie. To conclude, there was not a single scene of tension nor was it ever moving or exciting. In fact, I find it more funny than anything else. The acting was not particularly great as well despite a rather stellar cast. Infernal Affairs was an intricate and convoluted plot of deceit, lies, friendship, paranoia and love, at the hands of skillful directors who carefully stage memorable scenes and powerful climaxes – almost everything that Departed was not, despite an almost identical script. The critics are REALLY WRONG on this one. It is a complete failure of a remake, and even without comparison to the original Hongkong version, it is still a ridicule of an otherwise excellent plot. The editing was also fragmented and confusing, and coupled with horrendous pacing, the film gets progressively frustrating. Martin Scorsese has effectively removed everything that was so good about the original. Trust me, save your money and time, and watch Infernal Affairs, even if you have watched it already. What angers me the most, is that there are so many absurdly good reviews of this film. Please watch Infernal Affairs before you reviewers decide on anything.… Expand

Wow Rayman so the Chinese made a movie and Scorcesse took the idea and made a movie of it, big deal get a life buddy. I want to see all the IA movies but havent had time, but when I do see them I'm not going to be thinking the whole time "Gee how is this like the Departed, in this acting sequence of this part of the movie at the 44:56 point of the movie it is different" like you were probably doing during the Departed. Scorsese made a good film that was fun to watch and great performances made it great, behind Letters From Iwo Jima this is the best picture of the year, but Martin will lose out again, Clint will win best director, and rightfully so.… Expand

I enjoyed the movie Thought the casting was terrible sometimes I felt I was watching a sloppy melting pot of the shining ,basketball diaries and good will hunting.Very unrealistic story.Definitley an asian movie.Can`t wait to see infernal affairs.Jack nicholson just ain`t cut out to play a mob boss.And Di caprio just like in gangs of new york is no good as a hardman.

the film was great. all of the complaints people have about it are invalid. the plot was great, the acting suited the film perfectly, and character development worked well. if people can't understand the motivation of a character in a film directed this well, it's the fault of their incompetence, not poor screenwriting or directing or acting. the film is by no means "safe", the editing was very sporatic for effect and necessity and the cursing realistic... if you want to be shocked for shock's sake, watch hobos fight on the internet.… Expand

This was a very good movie, until about 40 minutes from the end. It makes no sense at all. If DiCaprio had that evidence that he sent to Damons house, why would he just submit it to the police? Dont you think a police department like that would be cracking down more if they knew they had a mole? How did Wahlberg sneak into Damons apartment and kill him with the door wide open and nobody notice...and walk out looking like that? Im sure alot of police officers, especially the higher ranked ones would agree this movie does not make sense. I'm sure Damon cant delete DiCaprios biopsy on the computers and not have it on file anywhere that he deleted it. This movie was very suspensful and kept me on the edge of my seat, until after Damon killed Nicolsons character.… Expand

This movie is well directed, excellently performed by the actors and exciting. So far so good. And it is good, actually very good. The problem is that it lacks originality. It could be any crime movie, exept for the actors. The other thing is the ending. It's extremely ridicuous and ruins the film a bit.

...I was skeptical to watch this movie....the story line did not interest me....and did not hear anyone raving about it....But I watched it on DVD a month after the Oscars....I was surprised by the contents...the complexity of the story...the direction of the film was great.....this was a very difficult film to do.....specially with an all-star acting team on board......so that said.....I was very impressed with the fim......a winner!!!!… Expand

The Departed is set in Boston where the streets are full of crime and owned by major gangland boss Frank Costello, plyed by a wonderfully evil Jack Nicholson. The state police force want his gone for good and send in young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo Dicaprio) to inflitrate Costello and his gang. On the other side is Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) now a growing and well respected cop, Sullivan works for Costello and is feeding him information from inside the police force. Both Billy and Colin must lead double lifes and stay one ahead of each other so they can expose the other and save their own skin, the race is on to find the mole in Internal Affairs and Costello's gang. Martin Scorsese's The Departed is a amazing mobster thiller, on the same level as 1990's Goodfellas. The film centers around Boston's mobsters and cops. The all-star cast turns in stunning prefromances, This is Scorsese's best film since 1995's Casino. The film has it fair share of twist and turns, Martin Scorsese adds to the film with his directing, the characters are strangly and outrageusly wonderful. The Departed is a film in which, you love everything, the dialogue, violince, humor, perfromances and twists.Overall, The Departed is exciting, violent, bloody, funny, clever and thrilling. Simply amazing. Martin Scorsese should definitely win Best Director for this, without a doubt The film also has one of the best ensemble cast, which includes such talent as, Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Ray Winstone, and Martin Sheen. Highly recomended. This is 2006's best film.… Expand

Great character development, I was wrong, and have developed so much respect for the people who raved about the film. Great casting, acting, soundtrack, action scenes. I am an idiot who does not know the art of good films or a gangsta drama. I would give this an 80, but I do believe this should receive a higher grade than a 77. A 78 at least. That's why I give it a 10.

It seems as if the Christian fundies have invaded this site. This film is truly one of my favorite films, ever. A true gangster film, with a great story, great acting, and overall an exceptional film.

Thrilling, airtight crime suspense with a failsafe premise that works despite Nicholson's over-the-top performance.

Scorsese does it again; proving to us not for the first time that he truly is the king of crime drama. DiCaprio brings life to the role of Billy, and Nicholson is certainly in his prime during the shooting of this movie, and ultimately makes the movie such the success I believe it is (or should be). The cast all together makes this film an artistic (extremely violent and crude) masterpiece. But truly, would you have the film any other way? Swearing and violence and murder and vulgarity give the movie a gritty charm that draws viewers to it whenever it's on the television screen. The script was wonderfully written, and Scorsese executed it marvelously on the screen. While I doubt anyone was expecting the ending, (I know I sat through the rest of the movie in half-shock, after the main character's untimely death) it too adds to the movie's charm. These people do not value human life, they are out to win, they are out to be the best, and they are going to kill any man who attempts to hand them otherwise. Scorsese captures this rat-eat-rat world perfectly, and I wouldn't have anyone but him directing this urban nightmare onto my screen. --Yours Truly, Silvra.… Expand

what the heck was in the brown envolpe!!!

Had this been more original, this film would had been more astonishing. This movie just purely a carbon copy of a better movie. Scorsese should stick to being original. Adding pointless swearing and violence doesn't make a movie any better nor original. Good luck next time.

DiCaprio, Damon, and Nicholson make one of the most badass trios in cinematic history (as far as I've seen). Definitely watch this one, Scorsese is amazing.

Great movie over all, lots of suspense and twists and turns. Keeps you guessing on who's going to get caught on either side.

One of the all time great films, - not Scorsese at his best but Scorsese's best.

Good movie until the end. I need to view this film about four more times to catch everything I may have missed. Is there a sequel to explain what was in Costigan's envelope? So many unanswered questions - I don't want to spend my time after watching a movie trying to decipher the ongoings of a fictional world; is it too much to have closure at the end of a film?

It was a good movie all the way until the end. The end ruined everything. I feel like i watched 2 hours of people getting closer and closer to figuring it out for nothing..everybody just dies. stupid!

An absolute masterpiece. From the beginning to the end i was captivated by the story and how the 2 worlds collided in a big way. I cannot understand what there is to not like about this movie. Also, there is talk of a sequel to this movie.

Okay Terrence, you obviously just weren't smart enough to get a grasp on this movie. (Colin wasn't able to get the undercover officer files, he never mentioned not being able to use a password.) Really good movie though. Everybody Dies! (Yay?)

The envelope contained the tapes that showed how Matt Damon's character had connections with the mob.

The ending and opening were great. The middle scenes got a little boring though. A little to harsh of language. Fair movie though. I mean Damon's Bourne series was better. And DiCaprio's "Blood Dimond" was so much better. I don't think it desrves a 10/10.

Why isn't Wahlberg mentioned at all? His performance was the best of his career, and one of my favourite characters, after Nicholson's of course, but no one out does the master. Scorsese encorporates various tricks and devices evident in his other films, and all of this on top of a sharp, witty script and believable acting from all the cast (except Baldwin... Urgh), this film is a must see. Goodfella's it most certainly is not, but it comes close, and that's near impossible.… Expand

The actors were great and very credible. But the plot was very blind of artfulness. I cant believe that any people can survive in this ambiance with this blindness. To far from any reality. A Movie just like a comic, nothing else.

Great movie. This puts the Irish gangsters more fierce and unpredictable than the Italian gangsters today.

The reviews for this movie were very misleading. I didn't realise going in that all the positive reviews were just making Scorsese a free ticket for an oscar. Its shameful that the academy gave into the hype for this movie, but insulted The Dark Knight by inferring people only liked it for Ledger. This movie was just a cheap thriller with a novel plot. You can tell the script was written by a hollywood prince who has no dealings with the outside world. It was a lot like a Quentin Tarantino movie; no texture, just the unrealistic overuse of language you'd only hear on a 6th grade school yard, and intense random violence. Speaking of language, the movie manages to demean the Boston area police to a greater extent than they have in real life. I can't imagine professionals at a meeting for a major police agency jokingly yelling 'I did your mom!' to each other. It had a lot of good acting all around, I'll give it that. Even Alec Baldwin manages to avoid being unbearable; and thankfully he isn't in many scenes. Their attempt to make you hate Mark Wahlberg's character throughout 3/4s the movie and then flip him to being a 'good guy' didn't float with me; it actually seemed goofy. Jack Nicholson reprises his role as The Joker, which seems better this time around. The character writing is so juvenile that 12 year olds could have easily played most of the parts. I think its interesting that in most movies like this they try to show a human side to the villains... But this movie goes above and beyond: dehumanizing everyone in the world other than two characters. If you aren't a scumbag you can't relate to 98% of the people in this film. Strangely, some elements of the film reminds me of Robocop. The way several of the characters die and Jack Nicholson's randomly breaking in with his party girls reminded me of the "I'd Buy That for a Dollar!" guy. But I actually liked Robocop. Usually when I see a movie that is grossly violent I look for some kind of meaning in the whole plot. Well, there is none in The Departed. Its just a bunch of thugs who kill people violently, and then die violently themselves. With a slight amount of intrigue in between, I could easily confuse this for one of the Bourne films.… Expand

It certainly doesn't trump Scorese's past works, but you can see his brilliance in some parts. It is not the least sentimental, and I doubt that it was Oscar-worthy, compared to his last brilliances, such as Goodfellas and Taxi Driver. The characters are not defined at all. The only aspect of the writing that is decent is the characterization of Boston. But that doesn't make a good movie. Instead of relying on the characters, this film relies on the plot, which is a terrible mistake. I don't know how Scorsese made this screenplay into a decent movie. No one else could, and I guess that's what separates some directors from others. Only a true genius like Scorsese could make this Bourne-esque movie into a barely decent one.… Expand

Amazing movie. The actors they got for this movie were all terrific. The directing and writing in this movie was fantastic and the overall plot was awesome. BRAVO!

The most successful movie following the infamous GoodFellows. Filled with a brilliant cast from the main characters like Leonardo Dicaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, and Mark Wahlberg to top actors with very few scenes like Alec Baldwin. The Departed is a bloody violent suspense. Keeping the viewer entertained with the amazing acting and compelling srory, which will be keeping you at the edge of your seat by plot twists that I never saw coming. A true action packed thriller that is more than worth your money. I highly recommend The Departed, which the critics are crazy about. See this movie!!!… Expand

This is a great movie. I can see why it won the Academy Award for Best Picture. The actors in this movie did their roles well.

While a very good movie, I found some of the basic elements of the plot hard to believe. Just a couple kinks ironed out and this is a movie that lived up to the hype. But, as it stands, it is only an almost.

Scorsese returns to his gangster roots and knocks it out of the park. Leo really lets loose and proves he is one of the best actors working today. Matt, Alec and Jack are all spectacular as well

This is what filmmaking has been trying to get at for the past few years. A piece that grabs you from the first scene and plays your emotions with mastery until the last frame.

By far, one of the best movies of the year. My favorite Scorsese movie since Goodfellas. The first one this year with a great cast that did not disappoint.

Marty's best in 15 years, a blistering slow-burner of a movie. The final minutes are among the best ever in ANY movie. Don't miss it for the world!

A instant classic

A classic gangster movie.

Everything seemed Oscar worthy, from the cinematography, to editing, to the screenplay, acting, score, everything. The film is so well crafted that at almost 3 hours long, it doesn't seem to matter, and you even expect more. I never had so much fun and disgust with a crime movie in years. Definitely the best movie of the year so far.

Awesome. Well-acted. Well-written. Better than Casino or Goodfellas

Awesome.

One of the best films I have seen, ever. DiCaprio was the best in an cast of great actors.

Phenomenal. Definitely as good (if not better) than Goodfellas.

You can add one more title to an already lengthy list for The Best Martin Scorsese Movie ever. There are many justified arguments in favor of The Departed, in which Mr Scorsese returns to the genre that he already owns- the crime drama. After waiting 30 years, we are blessed with the pairing of Jack Nicholson in a film by Martin Scorsese, and was it ever worth the wait. Just when you thought you'd seen Nicholson in every possible role, you get him in his most vile, reprehensible character yet, and once again he's perfect. In fact, everyone is perfect. Dicaprio has shed his boy wonder image and gives the most emotionally mature performance of his career, and Matt Damon holds his own in a film dripping with talent. The cinematography, editing and score all add to the brilliance of this film, but above all, it is a film by... and that's all you need to know.… Expand

WOW mind-blowing, amazing, and etc. One of my favorite movies of all time. Give Scorsese the Oscar he deserves!

Best thing about it is, it always keeps you guessing. As we go into it, it explains events building screenplay. It’s similar to the lines of 1976 Bollywood classic DON.

Wow wow wow. If this doesn't earn Scorsese an Oscar, nothing ever will.

Scorsese's best effort in years - nearly as good as Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, and likely the equal of Goodfellas.

INCREDIBLE!! The star studded cast definitely delivered this time. It was mesmerizing and exciting the entire time!

I don't want to jinx anything, but my gut tells me that Scorcese's long overdue Oscar is imminent with this instant classic of a film that is his best since "Goodfellas." The film on which it was based on, the 2003 Chinese police thriller "Infernal Affairs" was an excellent film; this is a great one. It doesn't arrive at greatness by way of perfection (neither did the occasionally sprawling "Goodfellas"), but it gets there by being alive, thrilling, and gleefully politically incorrect. In a year that can, with a few exceptions (like "Half Nelson", "United 93", and "A Prairie Home Companion"), only be described as disappointing, Scorcese reemerges to show us how it's done. Bravo.… Expand

Great movie, a little bit too much violence at the end, but I think every adult should see this movie in the fall.

A very cool movie with a monster performance from DiCaprio (the actor not only of his generation, but the one before him, too); Scorcese's craft is smoking off a really smart script and Damon's gift for committed detachment clicks. It might have risen above its meager theme to acheive classic status were it not for the spit-in-your-face ending and Nicholson's stupid performance. It's amazing that someone with Scorsese's artistic sense didn't edit out Nicholson's buffonery; or, better still, fired his indulgent ass and had the masterful Ray Winstone play his part.… Expand

Simply an outstanding film. If you like movies, you know what to do. I read recently the Jack Nicholson, more than any other actor in Hollywood, enjoys the craft of acting, and that is borne out in a big way in this film. And Leo is incredible. Freakin' incredible. Matt Damon plays Matt Damon, but his vanilla performance is not nearly enough to knock this down to a 9. If the film is not nomiated for a golden stiff, that show is more f-ed up than I already think it is. Whalberg, Winstone, Sheen - every supporting actor is phenomenal. I'm not going to reveal any plot points in this review, and I'd hate for people to spoil the experience of this film for others by doing so. Scorsese has created a worthy follow-up to Goodfellas. Again, you know what to do.… Expand

Casting Decaprio as the undercover tough guy ruined the movie. He was only convincing as the innocent young cop and since much of the movie revolved around a sense of sympathy or at least belief in the tribulations of his character, Decaprio's cardbard portrayal destroyed any emotional engagement in the characters. As usual Mark Walburg stole the show becuase his character was lovable but Damon really showed his prowess in creating a character of depth, with frailty and orginality. Unfortunatley brilliance on his part was dependent on Decaprio's reflection. The script was a little heavy handed and frankly seemed to try to be a little too hard in the final sequences to be a Tarintino movie. The Gen Y's I went with seemed to think it was the "pulp ficiton" of thier generation.. hopefully they will get something more uniquely thier own than this canned attempt.… Expand

Is everyone else watching a different movie because if there was any common sense and justice, every publication who gave this movie such high marks should be responsible of refunding every ticket sold. Even without watching Infernal Affairs which this was remade from, The Departed is a prolonged bizarre and trite 1 hour and 50 minutes. With wiseguy dialogues that run three words too long of a sentence, it also boasts senseless need of violence on screen. Do American cinema take a few steps backward every few years? The only reason why anyone would give this movie such praise is by just reviewing the credits and not watching it. Where Infernal Affairs was a well-paced film, this was, as one cinema-goer so well put it, "all over the place." Thank you very much for wasting my weekend and also for proving once again, of all the fairness and realism placed in portraying every other race, the Chinese are still made to look like numbskulls who can't even speak their own language properly.… Expand

Not the masterpiece Goodfellas was, but A very entertaining well acted film.

Not a great movie, possibly Scorsese's least personal (and profound) feature, but HIGHLY entertaining. I don't think the ending was terrible. May seem that way at first, but I think it's meant to be ridiculous, especially given that tongue-in-cheek ending.

Engrossing and intense gangster film set in present-day Boston with a strong plot, lots of interesting dialogue, and excellent acting. DiCaprio and Nicholson are standouts in a cast that seems to include half the A list Hollywood stars. This is the best movie I have seen this year. Scorcese scores again. Minor nits: some of the romantic dialogue between Matt Damon's character and his love interest came off as forced and unconvincing, and occasionally Jack Nicholson's acting bordered on ham.… Expand

Martin Scorsese's very fine remake of the HK film 'Infernal Affairs' is superior to the original. Crackling screenplay from William Monahan and superb acting from all involved. Top notch piece of entertainment that's a highlight of 2006 films.

Well acted, but stays in the surface. Merely a sparring session for the greatest American director.

The critics worship at the shrine of Scorsese., but this is a good, not great, movie.. Good actors, well-directed and a pretty good story, but this film does not deserve to be called great and is way overrated. Too long, too much of the same thing... Jack's great and some of his lines are classics., but the film is , really, pretty thin and fairly average-not in the league with Goodfellows, or GF 1 and 2-as some critics are saying.… Expand

As good as crime drama gets!

I don't see why this movie won such praise by the critics. The acting was good but that was about it, the story seemed so worn out and done before and the movie was overly long at 2hr and 40mins.

Scorsese and the genre at their absolute best. There is no reason for anyone to miss this movie.

Gripping tense edge of the seat tale of mob vs the law. Otustanding starcast, story, screenplay and direction.

Excellent, the first movie in a long time that was well worth the ticket price.

For those who love suspense and gritty realism this is a good movie. It has long been held that anger is one of the easier emotions for an actor to tap. However, DiCaprio taps a sense of rage so deeply and realistically that fire blazes from his every pore. Over the last thirty years no actor touches Nicholson's ability to entertain with sarcastic, arrogant devilishness. Though Wahlberg and Damon turn in strong supporting performances, it is Nicholson and DiCaprio that make the film work. The story and characters are too colorful for Scorsese to douse it in red. In an attempt to lend the film genuine realism Scorsese opted to test the audience's ability to stomach violence. I would rather have left disturbed and stunned than nauseated. Still, one of the years better movies.… Expand

Best Movie of 2006! It really should win best picture! I haven’t seen anything else this year that can beat this exciting film! SEE IT!

A waste of film on every level. Scorsese is in bad need of a dominatrix.

Really good movie. Complex and riveting.

Great acting across the board. Movie needs to lose about 20 mins but otherwise, a very good movie.

This movie is awesome on every level. Great directing, editing, music, and acting by a great cast. Movies don't get much better than this.

Brilliant, eye-popping, scalding dialog, twisting absorbing plot, excrutiating tension building to a jaw-dropping finale. Performances: Nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actor(s) DeCaprio, Damon, Best Supporting: Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg. Jack is a bit over the top (but don't we want him to be) Leo is in fine form--but it is Matt Damon that steals the movie out from under them all. He may win Best Actor for his best perf yet. Also Mark Wahlberg for best supporting actor with his brilliant venomous & profane outburts that scald your ears and the screen with their intensity. You will gasp and squirm as Scorcese the master tightens the screws. Will he finally get a Best Director nod? I think so.… Expand

Gripping tense drama with outstanding acting by all involved. Jack turns in one of his usual great performances; but it is Leonardo DiCaprio taking his profession up to another level in which equals the master scene for scene. The only negative is the extreme violence and total disregard for human life by all involved. The intensety stays with you long after you leave the theater. DiCaprio is certain of an Oscar nomination for this body of work.… Expand

Stop reading the reviews and go watch the movie! Great, great film.

DiCaprio gives one of the best performances of his career in this film. Nicholson gives a very "creepy" performances (a very good thing!), and Damon continues to get much better roles than Ben Affleck. If you are a Scorsese fan you CANNOT be disappointed.

A thoroughly unpleasant moviegoing experience, easily the most overrated movie of the year.

An absolutely outstanding movie in every sense of the word. The acting, script, soundtrack, casting, etc. were all incredible. There wasn't a single "dragging" part in the entire movie. I would absolutely rank this as one of the 2-3 best movies I've EVER seen. It is simply a work of art, and anyone that gives it below a phenomenal score has no idea what they're talking about. Like others have said, this is the best movie of 2006. If this doesn't sweep the Oscars, the shit is rigged.… Expand

Possibly the best movie since Raging Bull.

Superbly entertaining.

Awesome movie!! The acting was great, but the story was even better. You never know how the movie is going to end. Good feeling when watching a movie.

Very bloody which is not my cup of tea. The acting is excellent and the ending is a bit contrived. But this is still a very good movie, not great mind you, but very, very good. DiCaprio comes of age as one of America's best actors.

Completely entertaining from credit to credit. Usually, a cast with this many all-stars tends to be disappointing, but everyone was absolutely on top of their game for this one. Once again, Scorsese is king of the mountain.

Wow, what a dilemma. A very well acted and well directed film, with some scenes that will stick in my mind (and gut) for a very long time. But the language and violence and relentlessly dark/cynical tone of the film left me totally depressed. Maybe that's what Scorsese was aiming for; maybe that's what good film/art is about: an emotional and physical kick in the guts. Nicholson and DiCaprio (and much of the supporting cast) are awesome. But I can only recommend this for those who can stomach lots of graphic violence and a nearly 3-hour "glimpse" into human behavior at its worst. For me, this amounted to a horror story. I like good horror films, but geesh...… Expand