Scorsese returns to his roots

Some time ago, I penned an article condemning the frequent Hollywood practice of remaking Asian films, mentioning in particular "The Departed," a remake of the highly successful Hong Kong thriller, "Infernal Affairs." Any regrets I had were dashed as the end credits began to roll; I realized Martin Scorsese and writer William Monahan took great source material and improved upon it tenfold. \nUtilizing the same plot devices which made "Affairs" so fascinating, "The Departed" pits two moles -- one in the police department, another in the Irish mob -- in a superbly crafted game of cat and mouse in the maze of Boston, Mass. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan, the Irish youth with a troubled family history who, rather than be accepted by the police force, is placed as a mole in Frank Costello's (Jack Nicholson) gang. Matt Damon is Colin Sullivan, raised by Costello to become a hot-shot detective in the bureau, all the while tipping off the fatherly Frank any time the heat gets too close to his operations. \nScorsese has assembled a cast to be remembered in the annals of cinema history. DiCaprio, Damon and Nicholson are joined by the likes of Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and newcomer Vera Farmiga, all of whom bring their A-game to the table.\nThis is DiCaprio's best performance to date, one-upping himself after his previous Scorsese collaboration, "The Aviator." He is a ferocious beast; when backed into a corner, DiCaprio explodes in a fury of rage and anguish, showcasing the range that Scorsese once brought out of Robert De Niro. Nicholson is equally in top form, providing a frighteningly amusing portrayal of a mob boss at his wit's end. Damon plays tough but likeable as a cover up to how much of a scumbag his character is, Sheen is the father figure DiCaprio never had, and both Baldwin and Wahlberg provide comic relief through their tough exteriors, talking shit as if it were their second language. \nAs many have already said, this is Scorsese's greatest achievement since his widely accepted masterpiece, "GoodFellas." However, to say so is also a bit of a disservice to whom I consider to be America's greatest living director, who, aside from the bizarre "Bringing Out the Dead," has shown us he is more than a master of the crime genre over the past 16 years. Whether it's epics such as "The Aviator" and "Gangs of New York," personal interest pieces such as "Kundun" or remaking the classic "Cape Fear," Scorsese tackles every project with the same passionate fire that has been burning since "Mean Streets" more than 30 years ago. \nIf any other director or cast were attached to this remake, I'm quite certain the results would prove disastrous. Aided by Scorsese's personal editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, and cinematographer Michael Ballhaus (who also shot "GoodFellas"), the pacing and framing are tight in assembly. Howard Shore's moody score is complimented by Scorsese's excellent musical selections, ranging from the often used Rolling Stones classic "Gimme Shelter" to an undeniably catchy cover of Woody Guthrie's "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys. \nWhile I still love "Infernal Affairs," I already love "The Departed" more, but when thinking about the two in juxtaposition, Scorsese's vision is finely crafted and perfected to form, making the film his own. Cheers to you, sir, for proving me wrong.