Better acting than plot

Rating: 5/10 (5 March 2007)

I thought the actors held the movie together, they played off one another well despite being hampered by the script. Not that the story was bad, it just missed that psychological depth it was (I think) shooting for and came off as a slightly more deep than normal cop-shooting-action movie. In the 2 1/2 hours the developments of the cop mole and the mobster mole were short and time was rushed, not just in the early years, where that is expected, but throughout the undercover operations, so that each character advanced without the audience quite knowing how and why. The scenes often jumped back and forth between the two moles, comparing them, yes, but adding more to the fast-paced action feel. The supporting cast were all brusque and cutting, which was enjoyable, but as seen in an action film. There was little connection between any characters, including the rather ridiculous love interest who could have been the emotional release, but the story skimmed over that, again, too quickly. Too many years were covered, and had to be covered for both of them, without a clear focus. I'm interested to see what scenes were actually cut from the film. Not Scorsese's best work,but don't expect that and it's a darkly fun cop flick.