The Departed

After the critical mauling Scorsese received for Gangs Of New York (justly) and The Aviator (harshly), fans can breathe a sigh of relief because the man is back on song with The Departed. Loosely based on - Scorsese opted for an 'inspired by' rather than a straightforward remake - the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, the story centres on two morally ambiguous and complex individuals: Colin Sullivan (Damon) and Billy Costigan (DiCaprio).The ambitious Sullivan will stop at nothing in climbing up the Massachusetts State Police Department's ladder and signs up for a special investigation unit charged with stopping the Boston's organised crime ring - led by gangster Frank Costello (Nicholson) - when in reality he is Costello's 'inside man' on the police force. In contrast, former cop Billy has lost his badge due to his quick temper, but his contacts in the underworld give him one last opportunity to make good, volunteering to go undercover and root out Costello's organisation. Scorsese has delivered movies that, despite their plaudits, outstay their welcome - we just didn't notice when he was making classics - but since he's gone off the boil, the overlong running time became more apparent. It's good news then, that The Departed, at two-and-a-half hours, doesn't drag in the slightest and there are two major reasons for this - Damon and DiCaprio. DiCaprio delivers his first real mature performance as the hotheaded cop, is totally unrecognisable as the pin-up boy of yesteryear, totally believable as a double agen, even though his frame and features suggest otherwise (he could have done with a scar or two) and the scenes between him and Nicholson are as riveting as anything Scorsese has done before. Damon is also a late bloomer, but since his Bourne movies and his role in Syriana, he is starting to come good and seems comfortable here playing an Irishman in South Boston like he did in Good Will Hunting. Snappy dialogue is the order of the day as there is more info coming at you in the first five minutes that most movies have in their entirety. The Departed is not one you want to miss.