Excellent.... but.....

Rating: 8/10 (20 November 2006)

I watched it because I liked to see how a Hollywood adaptation of a HK flick comes out. I watched the Infernal Affair years ago and still enjoy the DVD.
The adaptation is really well done to fit American audiences. Compare to the original Infernal Affairs, it misses the subtle tension and the melancholy portrayed by the original. In the original, the relationship between the mole ( as Billy in The Departed ) and his boss in the police ( split as Dignam/Queenan ) was a very strong one. This piece is especially missed. Also, the scenery played in HK is very different from that of Boston. It is somewhat surrealistic in the original scene where the crime boss was finished off. On the other hand, the ending of The Departed is more convincing than the Infernal Affair.
What can I say, difference in movie culture makes two epics of their own.