The Departed Review: Scorsese's Cat-and-Mouse Crime Drama
8.5/10 — The Departed (2006)
Pros
- Terrific ensemble
- Tense plotting
- Nicholson's wild turn
Cons
- Overly bloody finale
- Thin female roles
An undercover cop in a Boston criminal gang and a gangster’s plant in the state police are each tasked with identifying the other. Martin Scorsese’s remake of Hong Kong’s Infernal Affairs won him his first Best Director Oscar.
What works
The tension is pitch-perfect, and the cast is outstanding, including Jack Nicholson on gloriously unhinged form, Mark Wahlberg’s foul-mouthed Dignam and Martin Sheen’s world-weary Queenan. The editing and score keep the pace rattling.
Where it falters
The plot’s final stretch is bloody and somewhat over the top, and the female characters are underwritten.
Verdict
A slick, tense, superbly acted thriller, even if it isn’t Scorsese’s deepest work.
