A few eyebrows were raised when it was announced that Martin Scorsese would be remaking a modern Hong Kong thriller with a Boston backdrop and Hollywood cast. After financial flops such as Gangs of New York and The Aviator, is there a reprieve for Scorsese with this tale of two tough Irish-Americans on either sides of the law?
The Departed, based on Infernal Affairs but not without inspiration from Heat or Goodfellas, sees Leonardo di Caprio and Matt Damon battle it out as the undercover agents for the State Police and the Irish mafia, but their paths soon cross when they are sent to uncover each other. While both find a good balance, di Caprio in particular is immense as the troubled cop inside the mob with a delivery full of intensity and emotion that constantly threatens to overflow – a performance that Scorsese’s previous muse Robert de Niro might have given thirty years ago.
While Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg as good cop-bad cop make an attempt to steal the show, it is Jack Nicholson who shines brightest with a great physical performance as mob boss Frank Costello. Nicholson undoubtedly has the pick of the lines and scenes and his role as Costello, all maniacal grin and devilish stare, surely rates amongst his best ever.
The Departed is everything you want from Scorsese – characters that blur the difference between right and wrong, copious amounts of violence, thrilling dialogue and the Rolling Stones on the soundtrack. It’s good to have you back Marty.
