The Departed

Don't think I've watched such a good reworking of a film before
I always get a bit edgy when I hear that Hollywood is remaking an Asian film, but this worked fine. The Departed is based on the concept that was used in the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs.

Story?
Organised crime gang places mole in police. Police place mole in organised crime gang. And things get very, very complicated and dangerous from there on.

Good film
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed watching this. Previously I had watched Infernal Affairs, which I found difficult to watch, not because of the language issues, but because of how the story had been organised. The Departed was a lot easier to understand.

There are interesting levels of suspense and intrigue, which is just what a good crime thriller needs. It's also very brutal in places, but there is loads of really good character development.

This film also has a great deal of 'star power', starring are Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen... the list goes on. It was directed by Martin Scorsese.

If you haven't seen it
The film was released in 2006, and so is easily available on DVD. I watched it when it was premièred on Channel 4 on Sunday. I definitely feel that it's worth watching at least once. The Departed is a long film, so make sure you've got your favourite film watching snacks and drinks available, or at least a pause button and a toilet.

Related links
Official website
IMDB entry for The Departed
Wiki entry for The Departed, plus links to Infernal Affairs