Excellent remake

Rating: 9/10 (11 November 2006)

In a nutshell; a remake of an already superb movie Infernal Affairs, with Scorsese at the helm, and one hell of a cast. It's no surprise that this movie had extremely high expectations, and guess what - it's no surprise that this movie is so highly acclaimed too.
I went to the movie feeling very skeptical - I was a big fan of Infernal Affairs, and was worried if the enjoyment of the movie would be ruined by the fact that I already knew what was going to happen. Surprisingly this movie exceeded my expectations! The casting was spot on - Wahlberg and Baldwin provide memorable (and sometimes hilarious) performances even despite their supporting roles; Nicholson delivers an expectedly sinister and gritty performance; but more importantly, Leonardo DiCaprio completely blew me off my socks - I've always somehow always doubted this guy, but in The Departed, he pulled off the role of Billy Costigan extremely well.
Although the film is a remake, Scorsese added a few minor details that really set it aside from its remake. The film did lack some of the 'cool edges' that the original Infernal Affairs had, but makes up with a much more believable, humanistic character progression through and through. The characters and their actions are much more believable this time around. To top it off, some of the witty dialogue by the supporting cast provide a nice touch to the overall feel of the film with its dark humor and interesting personalities. The feel is also much darker and grittier than the original.
Some may complain that this movie is a little long. I admit, it did feel so at some places, but after I finished watching it, i thought back, and realized that all the scenes really strengthened the drama and explored the characters really well, and in the end.. it makes the plot more believable, and explores the theme of trust, loyalty, identity, and ambition even better than the original Hong Kong flick. The intensity of the final 20 minutes of the film will keep anyone at the edge of their seat. I highly recommend this to anyone, whether you've seen the original Infernal Affairs or not.