Scorcese's welcome return to urban crime, Nicholson's welcome retreat from romantic comedy.....

Rating: 8/10 (9 October 2006)

Martin Scorscese's return to urban crime is as fluid, loud, and intense as one might hope. Mixing the exact right songs with his fluid camera work, he gives us an intense, complicated walk through a dangerous town during its most dangerous times.
The cast is all superb. DiCaprio is intense. Nicholson's performance is only hindered by his past work; he doesn't have to build the character because we already know what he's about the instant he first appears, since we know him so well. It's a gimme. The addition of Ray Winstone as Mr. French, Nicholson's second in command, was a wise choice. Winstone brings his menacing character to vivid, bloody life.
While based on the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs, The Departed is not entirely chained to that film's storyline. Some of the differences are as follows (SPOILERS):
DiCaprio's parallel character in Infernal Affairs, played wonderfully by Tony Leung as Yan, has been undercover for ten years. DiCaprio's Billy Costigan is only undercover for one year.
Damon's Collin Sullivan is perceived as charismatic by his peers, but has almost no redeemable qualities. His Infernal Affairs parallel, Tony Leung's Ming, is secretive, but not fake. Ming is a lot more likable to the audience, and conflicted about his loyalties.
Nicholson's parallel character in Infernal affairs, Eric Tsang as Sam, has no right hand man to parallel Ray Winstone's Mr. French. Similarly, Anthony Wong's Inspector Wong, the parallel to Martin Sheen's Queenan, has no right hand man to parallel Mark Wahlberg's Sgt Dingnum.
A little more of DiCaprio/Costigan's background is given in The Departed than is Yan's in Infernal Affairs I. However, in Infernal Affairs II, More of Yan's background is given, and it is a lot different than Billy Costigan's.
Finally, the biggest and most effective difference: In Infernal Affairs, Ming has a fiancée and Yan has a female psychiatrist, and they are two different women. In The Departed, these two female characters are combined, so that Damon/Sullivan's fiancée IS DiCaprio/Costigan's psychiatrist.
It should be highly enjoyed by anyone who likes a good, intense urban crime drama.