Scorsese is simply at the top of his game!

Rating: 9/10 (8 October 2006)

When I heard Scorsese was remaking Internal Afairs, I thought he was reworking the 1990 Andy Garcia/Richard gere film which displays ho much I know ignorance of Hong Kong cinema. I must admit I have still not seen the original Hong Kong version, not because of any conscious decision but only because I was determined not to know anything the plot before I see Scorsese's film. The end result is simply explosive, and exhilarating cinema. Scorsese expertly handles the narrative, inter cutting between the two protagonists, one sent to infiltrate a vicious mob, and the other planted in the police force as an asset for syphoning information for the eccentric mob leader. The first half of the film builds slowly, as with Scorsese's films, taking it't time to unravel slowly and setting out the intricacies of the story and the character's various backgrounds. Nicholson is in eccentric mode as the boisterous gang leader Costello, but the hour belongs to Damon as Sullivan, the deceptively charming career orientated mole in the police department. Having said that, Di Caprio, perhaps shunning the weightier and more complex role of Sllivan, does a competent job at keeping a low profile as Costigan, the undercover police agent living on the edge.
The film, however, really comes alive in the second half, when Sullivan reaches the pinnacle of power in the police department and Costigan is on the verge of being revealed as the rat in Costello's gang. The film bears all the whole marks of the Scorsese's earlier work. Scorsese masters the camera like no other, and the editing is wizardry. However, one of the least talked about Scorsese talent, is the ability to select the right type of music track to set the tone of the film. I bet his record collection at home is to die for!