The Departed - Believe the hype!

The conventional wisdom in Hollywood has always been that a bigger budget should equal a better film (or at least a better box-office). So it's not surprising that American studios seem to have a fascination with remaking foreign movies--they might have been good in their native countries, but with the bloated budgets of American cinema at their disposal, they can be great. Of course, this rarely works. La Femme Nikita turned into the forgettable Point of No Return. Cameron Crowe gave us an inferior version of Abre Los Ojos (Open Your Eyes) with Vanilla Sky. So it was with these reservations that I thought about Martin Scorsese's new film The Departed.

I find it interesting that most Hong Kong filmmakers will site Scorsese as one of their most inspiring influences, and he would then return the favor, so to speak, and put his own spin on one of their films. Based on the modern classic Infernal Affairs, The Departed tells the same story of two cops. One is deep undercover and has infiltrated the inner circle of a sinister crime syndicate. The other appears to be a rising star within the police ranks, but is actually a mole working for the same syndicate he's supposed to be taking down. Both are aware that a leak exists in their respective organizations, but neither one knows who the other is. What's left is a movie full of suspense, intrigue, and tension.

Had this been a direct remake of the original, The Departed probably would have fallen into the same basket of copies that look high dollar and glossy, but can't hold a candle to their original source material. Luckily, this isn't. And who would expect anything less from Martin Scorsese?

Trading Hong Kong for Boston, Scorsese keeps true to the basic plot of the original. But instead of a moody, plot-driven film like Infernal Affairs, he's instead created a movie propped up on deep character development using a stable of A-list actors who really step up to the plate and give some of the best performances of their careers. If you had any doubts about the acting chops of Leonardo DiCaprio or Matt Damon, throw them out--these two are good. I've been pretty impressed with DiCaprio of late, and I may be in the minority of people who thought he did some good work in The Aviator. Perhaps having done now three films with Scorsese have motivated him to grow as an actor. And then, of course, there's Jack Nicholson who can always be counted on for memorable experiences at the movies and probably delivers his creepiest performance since The Shining. Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, Mark Walberg, and Vera Farmiga round out a very solid cast that make this movie a success.

Graphic violence is present. This is a Scorsese picture after all. But it all seems appropriate in the context of developing the paranoia mounting within the storyline and within the characters. The musical selections are also perfectly placed. Who knew Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" could be so sexy?

I'd still recommend renting Infernal Affairs at some point, but The Departed is it's own picture and can stand on its own. In the end, The Departed will likely go down as one of Martin Scorsese's best. To call it a "remake" wouldn't be fair or accurate.

***** (out of *****)