The Departed

When I decided to go see The Departed, contrary to my original intention, I was firmly convinced that I would not try to compare it to the original. And yet in a movie where the best moments are those that copy it exactly, I can't do otherwise. As for the star-studded cast, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Martin Sheen are great, Alec Baldwin and Mark Wahlberg are average, and Vera Farmiga and, to my huge surprise, Jack Nicholson, are terrible. It is his role in The Departed in particular that proves why the remake should not have been made. Instead of a subtle gangster leader, Costello is a sleazy and unnecessarily vulgar arrogant, who doesn't care about anything or anyone, and the screenwriters added a stupidly behaving female character between the two main heroes, which further diminishes the credibility of their mutual duel. And above all, I won't forgive Martin Scorsese for one fundamental thing: the suspenseful, emotionally charged, and, in my eyes, forever unforgettable final scene in the elevator, which was the highlight of the original, became a farce in the remake, cramming three twists into a few seconds, and the absurdly portrayed final shootout of the main characters provoked deserved and almost incredulous mockery in the movie theater. Scorsese destroyed a film that could have redefined the gangster genre if he hadn't merely dissected the original and wildly twisted it – and that has earned him everything possible from me, except for the promised pinnacle of his career. (30/11/2006)

It’s against nature, but Marty is getting younger. This is the kind of fucking entertaining film that even a young kid in the director’s chair wouldn’t be ashamed of. Those almost two and a half hours passed by like water. In the case of the ensemble cast, it's pointless to comment on DiCaprio and Nicholson, they're chapters unto themselves, so I'll just single out the much-maligned Damon (that perfect smarmy crooked character, I can't imagine it could have been played any better) and especially Wahlberg (!!!), whose brilliantly written lines were a joy to listen to, and his banter with Baldwin made me laugh out loud. After the screening, I remembered Steven Spielberg's words that he "doesn't have to prove anything to anyone anymore and just wants to have fun with movies", I feel the same way about The Departed. I probably wouldn't give Scorcese an Oscar for it, in the context of his previous, albeit more notable work (if does get it, it will be mainly "for merit"), but it's gratifying that underneath the skin of the grey professor emeritus, there's still that old familiar rebel from the days of Mean Streets and Taxi Driver :) (19/11/2006)

I am not familiar with the Asian film Infernal Affairs, which forms a precursor to The Departed, and given my relationship with Asian productions, I am skeptical about the idea that it could interest me more. However, I don't have to address the lack of originality of the subject matter and how Scorsese dealt with it. Nonetheless, it is an interesting film that fully satisfies me on an emotional level. The duel of two professionals who infiltrate the enemy camp to gather information is full of tension and twists. A clever film with excellent casting, led by Leonardo DiCaprio. Overall impression: 90%. (19/11/2009)

Until the very end, Scorsese's speedy directing and the great actors manage to disguise the fact that this tale about cops, rats and hidden agents may have too trivial of a plot, in which, unlike Infernal Affairs, there is no room for deeper psychology and surprises. Nevertheless, it is a thriller that can be watched breathlessly and enjoyed at an incredible pace of storytelling. The question is whether it can be watched more than once. (10/08/2008)

I've avoided the film for so long that I have to give it a full score without thinking, because this is a great ride full of my favourite stars and what can we say, I've never seen better cast in a film. All is underlined by decent dialogue, great story-building and an excellent bloody climax. By the end, I was growling with a decent amount of pleasure and watching in disbelief as the screenwriter pulled us along. I regret my procrastination, I couldn't have spent 151 minutes better. (26/11/2014)