The Departed Review

Given his imagination and previous work, it's perhaps a rather strange decision by Martin Scorsese to remake a cult Hong Kong gangster thriller. But fortunately the master filmmaker has relocated and expanded "Infernal Affairs" expertly, creating another Scorsese gem. The premise sees two young men from crime-ridden South Boston (Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon) joining the Police Department - but both has very different intentions. DiCaprio's Billy is persuaded to go deep undercover and infiltrate the gang of ruthless crime boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). However Damon's character has known Costello for years and uses his new position to keep the mobster one step ahead of the law. But when he learns there's a rat in Frank's gang, both men face a race against time to expose each other before the other can.

Given that the movie on which "The Departed" is based only ran for around 100 mins, some may baulk at the fact that Scorsese has squeezed two and a half hours worth of material out of it. But while "Infernal Affairs" was fast paced and thrill a minute, Scorsese has slowed things down and focuses on the psychological effect upon being an undercover agent for such a long period of time. As such things get a bit slow at times, but the film's tense and taught atmosphere more than makes up for it.

The performances are universally good - Nicholson chews the scenery like the old pro he is - while Scorsese is still a master behind the camera - and even if "The Departed" doesn't feel quite as innovative or raw as some of his previous classics, it is still miles ahead of what Hollywood churns out week in week out these days.