Matisse van Rossum’s review published on Letterboxd:
The Departed is an intricate story of corruption and brutality and one man's struggle to stay pure and moral in the midst of it all. Martin Scorsese has always been an incredibly skilled and talented filmmaker, a master in his craft, and this film is an excellent showcasing of his ability. Did he deserve his Oscar for this? Yes. Usually I disagree with the Academy. I think it's a flawed system. But they hit the nail on the head with this one. It's been a long time since I've seen a narrative this intricate and well executed. It's so many layers deep, but I never felt lost, just more and more captivated, and that's because Scorsese is a damn good storyteller plain and simple.
Now what do I even begin to say about the cast? I guess I can start by saying that in this setting, you couldn't ask for a better cast. I've always had a bit of a weakness for Leo DiCaprio, and he delivers one of the best performances of his career in this film. It's very raw and passionate and I thought he was perfect for the role. Usually Matt Damon is pretty hit or miss for me. He's a good actor, but I'm not always convinced and sometimes his face annoys me. But he was definitely a hit in this one. He's a bad guy and he's easy to hate, and he pulls it off excellently. Now on to some of the smaller roles. (Don't worry, I haven't forgotten the best role of all. I'm just saving it for last.) I love Alec Baldwin, and his character is great in this. Even without a whole lot of screen time, he's memorable and delivers some pretty memorable and quotable lines. Next, Marky Mark. I for the most part feel the same way about Mark Whalberg that I do about Matt Damon (probably because they're pretty interchangeable) but I think he pulls off his role pretty well in this film, especially his last appearance (which I won't spoil, but it's great). And last, but certainly not least, the showstealer himself, Jack Nicholson. What an incredible performance for an incredible role. His presence on screen absolutely cannot be ignored, and regardless of who's alongside him, they almost immediately lose importance as soon as he starts talking. This is the good old fashioned Jack Nicholson that we know and love.
While I'm not usually a fan of cop dramas, this one never bored me once. I was captivated from beginning to end. It's well paced, it's excellently directed, the cinematography feels raw and real and it puts you right in the story. My one problem with The Departed is that it's long. Jesus Christ, this movie is really long. Though I was never bored, I did get to the point where I was practically begging Scorsese to wrap it up because I couldn't take all the built up tension anymore. But when he did, boy was it satisfying. An excellent end to an excellent film. But no spoilers!