A Disappointing Remake

Rating: 5/10 (10 October 2006)

Being Chinese, I have already seen the original Hong Kong version (a trilogy in fact). Honestly, I am very disappointed by Scorsese's remake. Matt Damon's character does not seem to struggle in his double identity. The ending of "The Departed" surprises me in a negative way. It is really lame and dull compared to the original.
However, it is not fair to evaluate "The Departed" by constantly comparing with the original "Infernal Affairs" trilogy. I hereby turn my focus to "The Departed" as a movie of its own. This is my first time watching a Scorsese movie. He achieves a marvellous job in terms of directing the actions although they are excessive. DiCaprio and Damon are very good in acting but the best actor has to be Jack Nicholson. Playing Frank Costello, Nicholson's facial expression and acting demonstrate the charisma of a gangster leader. Scorsese does an excellent job on generating the tensions between characters too. I did not want to leave my seat for the most part of the movie.
Damon used to be an altar boy at the church that Damon can see from his home's window. He has then become Nicholson's mole in the Special Investigative Unit of Boston police. It reminds me about Damon's past. But if Damon has some struggles, Scorsese ought to do a better job illustrating them. I experience Damon's character to be naturally evil in "The Departed." "The Departed" probably has a different focus from "Infernal Affairs." "The Departed" comes across to me as an emphasis on the ones that depart after doing good works for the society. "Infernal Affairs" emphasizes the tension between people's goodness and wickedness.
If this is the case, the ending of "The Departed" makes very little sense. I give it a 5 out of 10 mainly because of the poor ending. In addition, the actions (well-choreographed) and foul languages are too much. They become too unnatural as the movie progresses. If you enjoy pure actions, "The Departed" is worth watching. But I recommend the original trilogy even more. "Infernal Affairs" is miles better than "The Departed."