Rent The Departed (2006)

Jack Nicholson's rat impression - The Departed review by BP

This is a full-on mobster/cop thriller and keeps you guessing throughout. The cast are generally excelled particularly Di Caprio but Wahlberg was a bit over the top. Jack Nicolson seemed to be playing a strange version of his portrayal of the Joker; either that or a parody of himself. At one point he actually does an impression of a rat when he talking about the rat in his organisation... I found his character implausible and that kind of soured the movie for me. I've seen each of the Oscar winning best movies from the last 10 years and this was one of the less good ones in my opinion.

If you like realism in your mobster films get this - The Departed review by CP Customer

Gritty, tough, very frightening and even amusing at times, this is an American Gangster film that hits the spot. All the acting is superb but Di Caprio and Nicholson excel.

Second rate Scorsese is still pretty good - The Departed review by Tim from London

I agree with the first reviewer that this is not up there with classic Scorsese - such as Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Mean Streets, Taxi Driver or King of Comedy. It's probably not quite as good as his 'second rate' films like Casino and Last Temptation of Christ - but it's not far off (and certainly better than the Aviator and Bringing out the Dead). I thought it was an enjoyable thriller with some great scenes - but what was missing for me was strong central performances (in the mould of De Niro or Pesci). Still pretty good though.

great film - The Departed review by LK

great film one film I will watched all the time

Brilliant acting deeply thoughtful - The Departed review by JD

This genre suited Leonardo's acting best. His dilemmas and anxieties were tangible. Nicholson was good but didn't draw me in and Damon appears too wooden (better as a superhero). The plot is extremely sound (I hate one with gaps and glitches)and more importantly full of insights and unpleasant truths.

Excellent Crime Thriller - The Departed review by GI

Director Martin Scorsese once commented that this was the first film he'd made that actually had a plot. And what a great plot it is. A cat & mouse narrative as Leonardo DiCaprio as undercover cop Billy and Matt Damon as gang member Colin try to identify each other to ensure their survival. The film boasts a great cast with Jack Nicholson excelling in the ultimate bad guy role as Boston crime boss Frank Costello, aided by Ray Winstone (with a slightly dodgy American accent) as his chief lieutenant, who cleverly grooms one of his young gang members Colin to join the Boston police and work his way into the very unit trying to catch him. With an insider in the police Frank feels invulnerable until Colin discovers there's an undercover cop deep in Frank's gang. With splashes of Scorsese's trademark violence, a support cast that includes Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen and a traditional crime thriller story that rattles along at a great pace it's no wonder this won Oscars. It was a departure from what we normally expect from this director but it was a welcome one.

An outstanding Scorsese film with incredible performances, music and ambience, set in Little Italy - The Departed review by TB

This is a great film, showcasing once again Marty's love of gangsters and loyalty. And what a cast he has assembled for this journey. As much as there has been some pushback from other reviewers of this film, the only issue I had with it was it was just that little bit too long. Unfortunately, there were points where the film could have used some better editing, as well as shaving off at least 10-15 minutes.

As time has gone on, Scorsese's films have got longer and longer, which is not a good trait. I'm all for letting stories breathe, but not at the expense of keeping momentum going. For example, Wolf of Wall Street was hideously bloated and should have been at least half an hour shorter, although I detested Jordan Belfort, so sitting through his escapades for any length of time was tiring.

But there is a huge amount to love in The Departed. For a start, the cast are amazing. Whilst Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio are the main draws, everyone is great. Martin Sheen in particular takes the thankless cop role and does wonders with it. Mark Wahlberg used his own "extensive experience" from his younger days involving the police to embody Dignam. And Ray Winstone is also great as Mr French. But also, this film has an incredible stand-out performance from Vera Farmiga. Scorsese films often don't have strong female leads, but here Farmiga's shrink who falls in love with Colin Sullivan only to have her heart ripped out is incredible watching.

The film also has many twists and turns, as well as the kind of dark & snappy humour that Marty can conjure up in spades. The soundtrack puts the icing on the cake.

I do agree that this isn't Scorsese's masterpiece (that will always be for me Goodfellas,) but there is so much to like here, plus this was the film that finally got Marty his well-deserved Oscar. Great viewing.