The Departed' is set in South Boston, where the state police force is waging war on organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Costello (Jack Nicholson). While Billy is quickly gaining Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the police department as an informer for the syndicate, is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by his double life, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations he has penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the gangsters and the police that there's a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy -- and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save himself.

Being a huge movie buff sometimes has its perks, like the fact that I knew the Departed was a remake of Infernal Affairs and me having seen Infernal Affairs long before I even heard about the Departed. This is a perk because having seen both, and loving both I can make a fair comparison to which one I like better and was able to see all the little differences between the two. One of the more interesting plot lines and probably my favorite of the original is how long the cop was undercover, spending over a decade inside the crime bosses operations. In the remake it is probably only about two years which is sad because near the end just after a two year stint Leonardo DiCaprio is beginning to lose his mind can you imagine what a decade long operation might have done to him. The manic energy that Leo exhibits and the paranoia that infiltrates his character from such a long undercover stint is what makes the movie fantastic. You can see Leo’s character Billy almost going mad with always having to be two faced and it drives him and the movie to new heights. The storyline is great and how can you not love a very well done gangster movie that has a great story, great actors and great drama.

I hope this is the film that finally gets Martin Scorsese his Oscar for best director as it is easily my favorite film that he has done since Taxi Driver. I mean you get that manic energy and drama that infests all of Martin Scorsese’s films. All the actors are on edge because something, anything is just about to happen just around the corner and you know it, the characters know it but they just don’t know what’s going to happen. The tension, that manic tension is what Martin Scorsese does best. All the characters feel it, the audience feels it and it drives the movie and what makes it so great is the fact that it gives the characters life. If you were to have to go undercover for so long and do so many things that were against your own nature the tension would build like it does in the movie, like a tea pot brewing and eventually boiling over and that is what makes Martin Scorsese one of the best directors in Hollywood. The characters aren’t tense to begin with, it’s the action and the drama of events that leads to that tension just like in real life. Watch a crappy horror movie like When a Stranger Calls and witness the characters being jumpy even before anything has happened then watch a Scorsese film and watch the tension build and you will realize why movies like the Departed and other Scorsese fare are so good.

Could they have gotten a more fantastic cast then they did, I would find it hard to believe if they did so. I have come to love Leonardo DiCaprio, Scorsese’s new Robert Deniro because even though he found fame and an instant payday after Titanic he still chooses good roles and good movies. He has only made seven films since Titanic that tells you he is careful in what he does and most of those films have been pretty good. I have come to appreciate Leo as a good actor because he does provide energy to every character he plays. Who would have thought Mark Wahlberg formerly Marky Marky would prove to be a great actor as well. The only let down at times is Jack Nicholson who is so over the top, forgetting he is a modern day crime boss and not some comic book one like his portrayal of the Joker, that he can become ridiculous at times. I would have preferred a more subtle and fearsome Nicholson ala the Shining than Batman’s the Joker. But the cast comes together, Damon plays the dirty cop, Leo plays the frenzied paranoid undercover agent, Wahlberg plays the demanding boss and Nicholson plays the crazy mobster. I loved the movie and despite a few faults wouldn’t mind seeing it again.

Grade: A