The Departed
As the weekend slowly inched it’s way I was counting the days till The Departed would hit our screens. I was ecstatic having found out this film was a remake of Hong Kong’s 2002 film Infernal Affairs, which is one of my personal favorites.
The Departed had to be good. Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring an all-star cast of Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Anthony Anderson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, and Alec Baldwin. This film had heavyweight actors, great reviews, and was a remade of one of the best police dramas in a very long time. Nothing could possibly go wrong with this film, right? Wrong, first off sorry to all of the thousands of people who loved this film, but I simply just don’t agree.
The only power behind this film was the all-star cast or at least their all-star names. The Departed is about two men working on opposite sides of the law, in particular where the Irish Mafia is concerned. Remaking Infernal Affairs is a huge job to attempt. The Hong Kong version had an element of surprise and intrigue. Infernal Affairs is a gangster movie; think of Scarface and The Godfather. The characters in these 3 films play off toughness and swagger, which is, of course, what makes a confident gangster. They have this coolness factor, which when done successfully leaves the audience wanting to be in the mob. That coolness is why people love Tony Montana.
The Departed, however, lacks the swagger of "mobster cool". Nicholson plays Frank Costello, the king pin of the Irish Mafia. Let’s just say I thought the film would have passed for Analyze That Part 3 and Billy Crystal was going to show up in his crew somewhere. DiCaprio, on the other hand, delivered a charged performance and filled the shoes perfectly for his character. Damon was, as he is in all his movies, himself. Baldwin added a comical side, but once again, was also himself. Sheen’s character as Queenan the police chief should have been played by a more authoritative actor. As far as Wahlberg I have no clue why his character was even in the film. I completely agree that these are all great actors who have tremendous talent, but in this film they simply could not fit the bill.
Scorsese had a blueprint for a great and intense film. Infernal Affairs, the original film upon which The Departed is based, was so well written that a star-studded cast was simply not needed. The Departed had unnecessary characters, too much over the top scripting, and lacked that "magnetic gangster charisma". I believe this film only deserves a C rating. The film was focused on the all-star actors and not the overall outcome of this film–you will realize that by watching The Departed.
Scorecard:
Story B
Acting C
Visuals C
Originality B-
Enjoyability Grade C
Overall Grade C
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