THE DEPARTED had an awful lot riding on it. granted, Martin Scorsese's career has had something of a yo-yo effect anyway, but after the disappointments of Gangs Of New York and The Aviator, something extraordinary was expected. and that's what has arrived.
let me make something clear - it is not an A-Grade classic like Taxi Driver or GoodFellas. it does, however, sit very nicely with Scorsese's films that are "almost masterpieces", like Casino and Cape Fear. the fact that this one is a remake does tie the hands of the director, as you have to remain relatively loyal to the original plot.
the plot? how much to reveal? basically, the mobs have a plant in the cops, the cops have a plant in the mob. sat atop of the mob is Jack Nicholson, giving a remarkable background performance. Martin Sheen, almost anonymously so, is in charge of the cops.
Scorsese has assembled an impressive cast, and they just about all deliver. Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Ray Winstone are just as good as Nicholson in this, and Sheen serves the part of the role well enough. the weak link, and this makes it a hat-trick for Scorsese, is Leonardo Di Caprio. whereas Leo is not exactly bad, he's not dazzling and looks a touch out of his depth. the problem is, once more, his pretty boy looks. it's difficult to accept him in a more demanding role like this one when he still looks like a 12 year old, not matter how hard they try to hide that fact.
the structure is curiously fragmented, compared to Scorsese's usual, more linear approach, and it works. the film is not going to spoodfeed you the plot - expect to fill in the blanks here and there as you watch it.
and watch it you should, dear reader. i remain confident, from what i have seen, that The Prestige will be the film of the year, but this one cannot be far off.
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