Very Good, not great.

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2007)

Well shot, well scored, well edited--for once events that are supposed to be happening simultaneously feel like they are happening simultaneously, and its also a nice way to suggest passage of time)-- well acted, well directed, and well written--the characters are always smart, and the screenplay almost always refuses to cheat. And yet, the romantic subplot is contrived. What are the odds of a cop and crook, particularly the cop and the crook who are working against each other, falling for the same girl? Why not give each a different girl to aid in developing their characters? Not having seen Infernal Affairs, I couldn't say if Monahan lifted this element from it, but it is unnecessarily economical decision nevertheless. It also brings the movie down to the level of a genre picture; though, like Heat and Collateral, a very good one. It would never have won Best Picture if Taxi Driver had.