The Departed (2006)

Directed by Martin Scorsese

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Vera Farmiga, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Anthony Anderson, Mark Rolston, David O'Hara, Kevin Corrigan, James Badge Dale, and Alec Baldwin

He finally did it. Martin Scorsese, after one of the most critically successful careers a Hollywood director had ever had, managed to direct the Academy's pick for Best Picture of the year. This is a very interesting work, featuring strong performances from DiCaprio, as a troubled policeman posing as a criminal, Damon, as a privileged and cocky criminal posing as a policeman, and Nicholson as the sinister crime boss both must deal with. The twists and turns, with the exception of a key one at the end, are believeable and drive the story forward. Is this Scorsese's best film? No. Is it the best American film of 2006? Yes, and that's what's important.

Other nominees: Babel (Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu), Letters from Iwo Jima (Clint Eastwood), Little Miss Sunshine (Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris), and The Queen (Stephen Frears)