Lester Mak

Such therefore was the magnitude of the impact of the original, that when Brad
Pitt bought the rights to the movie, many, including myself, wondered what would
happen to it in a Hollywood remake, and in particular whether it would match the
power of the original. But The Departed itself has been a long project, and much
of the time passed has been spent on getting it right.

Billy Costigan (DiCaprio) and Colin Sullivan (Damon) and recruits to the
Massachusetts State Police, only that Sullivan was also working for gangland
thug Frank Costello (Nicholson). Meanwhile Costigan, with his tainted
background, is chosen to infiltrate Costello’s activities. Soon, with the
discovery that each party has his own mole, each tries to find out who he is.

Scorcese’s version of the movie retains the grittiness of the original, but it
runs at a slower pace than its predecessor. Many of the small plot holes in the
original have been ironed out, which is somewhat an achievement as screenwriter
William Monahan says that he hadn’t seen Infernal Affairs before writing his
version the script.

DiCaprio, Damon and Martin Sheen bring to life the characters that Tony Leung
Chiu-Wai, Andy Lau and Anthony Wong performed so well. Jack Nicholson, however,
steals the show, as Costello, bring an extra edge to the plot and dominating the
story.

Ultimately, there are elements in the film that are better than the original.
For those who have seen Infernal Affairs, there is plenty to keep you interested
in this film as it isn’t simply a copy of the original. And what’s better is
that there is a finish to it, so you won’t get any terrible sequels like
Infernal Affairs 2/3, thank goodness.

One to watch.

Link:

Official Site: The Departed

IMDb Entry for The Departed

Lest’s Review of Infernal Affairs