The Departed (2006)

You wouldn't expect such philosophical questions from a standard cops-and-robbers drama, but then again, 2002's Infernal Affairs wasn't exactly standard. A blockbuster hit in Hong Kong and highly acclaimed among American film buffs, it skillfully played with an intriguing premise so intricate, yet simple enough to make you wonder why no one devised it sooner. A gangster sends one of his young protégés to work his way up in the police force as a mole to serve his needs. Meanwhile, the police send one of their own undercover to undermine the crime boss. Both covert agents are aware of the other's existence, and both try to uncover the other's identity before they're found out. But what if the undercover cop plays the role of a thug too well, and what if the mole learns to enjoy becoming a cop?

Leonardo DiCaprio as Billy Costigan, a state trooper who takes on a dangerous undercover assignment

The story proved so intriguing, it captured the attention of director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio while they were making The Aviator in 2004. Suppose the story were transplanted to the U.S., say the mean streets of Boston. What if the film took more time to develop the back-stories and motivations of the key players? And what if Jack Nicholson got on board to deliver a crazed, Oscar-worthy performance in an expansion of the crime boss role? Enter The Departed, Scorsese's Americanized adaptation of Infernal Affairs.

Only the most devout fans of Hong Kong cinema would be so enamored with the original to say there's no improving upon its excellence. Several characters were under-developed, the soundtrack made awkward use of pop music, and the script went out of its way to remind you of the protagonists' conflicting dualities. Still, can you blame people for being skeptical of another botched Hollywood remake? The Departed, however, is one of those rare exceptions of a film that generally improves on the source material, despite falling short of it in other ways.

Matt Damon is Colin Sullivan, the boy who grows up running errands for Irish crime lord Frank Costello (Nicholson), quickly rising up in the elite ranks of Boston's state police. It's not that he isn't good at his job, but everything seems to be handed to Sullivan—his high profile career, his penthouse apartment, and his girlfriend Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), a psychologist for the police force. Yet lurking under that friendly poster-child demeanor is a man doing as much as he can to undermine justice in service to the devil himself.

Matt Damon as Colin Sullivan, a rising star in the police department who is not quite what he seems

On the other side is Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), who joined the police to escape the criminal ties of his family. Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen) and Sgt. Dignam (Mark Wahlberg) see his past as an opportunity to get closer to Costello, dismissing him from the force to send him deep undercover. And though Costigan plays his hand well, he becomes unraveled as he bloodies his hands and slowly becomes the very thing he tried to avoid. To cope with his unhinging emotions, he begins to see a psychologist and develop a relationship with her—Madolyn, all too conveniently.

At the center is Costello, with Nicholson never more insane and over the top since his performance in The Shining, which is mostly a good thing. At nearly 70, there's a weariness about him that suits the part, requiring him to spout Machiavellian wisdom through several entrancing monologues. This is a man who's seen (and taken) it all, yet still has nothing at heart, explaining his cocky behavior and gradual descent into madness when he's unable to remove the interloper in his own ranks. Like Al Pacino, it's enough of a pleasure to watch an actor do what he does best, though as usual, Nicholson goes a little too far—especially when he starts miming a rat to describe the one undermining his gang.

In a blend of his performances from Good Will Hunting and The Bourne Identity, Damon does well at exuding steely charm—you're never quite sure whether to feel sorry for Sullivan because of his predicament, or hope that he's found out because of his misdeeds. Even more impressive is DiCaprio, who takes one more giant leap after The Aviator in his maturity as an actor with a completely believable performance as a troubled cop/thug who simply wants to do the right thing, yet is forced to do some wrongs to accomplish that. It's a strong cast all around, though special mention should be made for Alec Baldwin's humorously charged and eccentric performance as the captain of a special unit task force.

Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello, head of Boston's Irish mob

And to his credit, Scorsese has delivered an intelligent, briskly paced crime drama that's almost never dull in its 149 minutes. The editing constantly shifts between Costigan and Sullivan, so we often know what the other is doing at all times. It brings consistency to the tone of the story's more complex plot point, going back and forth with the actions of the two moles as they try to undermine one side by helping another.

The Departed does falter slightly with a couple missed opportunities. A key scene involves the police's attempted trade bust between Costello and a Chinese gang. It goes wrong because of simple failure to stage cameras throughout the meeting place. The same scene was far more mesmerizing in the first thirty minutes of Infernal Affairs, as both moles try to use their wits and resources to outmaneuver the other side.

Also frustrating is how The Departed fails to explore both father figures in the script. They're thorough with Costello—Costigan and Sullivan are both stuck with him, forced to respect him for completely different reasons. But Queenan is underdeveloped as the analogue to Costello. His character is far more poignant and meaningful in the original movie, building a relationship as the moral compass both agents wish they had.

Martin Sheen as Captain Queenan and Mark Wahlberg as the potty-mouthed Sergeant Dignam

But the real problem is with the content itself. The Departed has lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of profanity. Wahlberg's Dignam is about as foul-mouthed a cop as you'll find, particularly fond of the f-bomb, and even using one of those words considered worse than the f-bomb. It got to the point where the excess of objectionable material hampered my enjoyment of the overall picture—and before you start suggesting the need for realistic portrayals of criminals and streetwise cops, consider that Infernal Affairs was every bit as believable with an identical storyline, yet could almost have been scaled down to a PG-13 with its content.

The violence is more comparable to Goodfellas than the original in blood and brutality. There's also a key scene where Sullivan meets Costello in a movie theater for information; in this version, Scorsese sets it in a porno theater and has Costello play a crude prank with a sex toy. And Scorsese once again can't resist slapping the Catholic church with the implication of yet another pedophile priest. Thankfully, they supposedly trimmed a scene that led to Costello's participation in a drug-fueled orgy with two women—like almost everything else here, completely unnecessary and gratuitous.

Which is unfortunate, because aside from the offensive material, The Departed fires on all cylinders as one of the best crime dramas ever made—smart, suspenseful, and technically well made from every angle. Of course, it's nice that there's an alternative for those unwilling to look past the excesses of The Departed. I cannot deny that it's an extremely well executed flick, but for a less epic and vulgar film experience, yet equally satisfying version of the same story, stick with Infernal Affairs.