Review: The Infernal Departed Affairs

Two messengers deliver identical messages. One messenger is from Hong Kong and delivers the message in 2003. The other messenger is from Boston (or Bahhston for you in the Northeast) and delivers the same message three years later presumably because he got distracted by the Red Sox/Bruins/Celtics for three years. Is one messenger favored over the other just because they delivered the message in different styles?

The Departed hit theaters in October of 2006 boasting an impressive man's man cast headed by Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon. It just got really hot in here so take a moment to swoon if needed. And I don't just mean the female readers. Martin Scorcese directed this crime drama of deception, suspense and enough Boston accents to choke a Catholic guilt filled Irishman. I won't waste anyone's time reviewing The Departed. If you haven't watched it, rectify that situation. It's easily in my personal top 10. It's well acted by a perfectly selected cast of characters with a story that's suspenseful, exciting and at times hysterically funny. It's a testament to how Scorcese's talent as a director isn't slowing down with his age (unlike my ever expanding tummy).

Leaving the movie theater after my first viewing of The Departed in the fall of 2006 I was informed by fellow writer Nick Connors 1) to get my feet off the dashboard of his Jeep 2) that The Departed was actually based on a movie out of Hong Kong from 2003. I wasn't necessarily surprised given that most scripts floating around Hollywood are based on a book, video game, short story, TV show, childhood toy, household appliance or are just a remake of another movie. Now, five years and one Netflix subscription later I finally watched the original film Infernal Affairs.

Considering it was the source work for a Martin Scorcese film, it's not surprising that I found the movie excellent. Normally I don't like reading subtitles unless it's to tell me that Godzilla's coming or VH1's Pop-up Video (yeah, you remember that show) but I didn't mind following the dialogue in subtitle format here. It also didn't impede my comprehension of the story. While I thought the movie was well done I didn't necessarily enjoy watching it. I already knew the story and as the movie progressed, I began to realize that The Departed is (quite literally in some cases) a shot for shot remake of Infernal Affairs. Granted the dialogue has been changed in a few places to accommodate the Boston vibe and some of the scenes are out of order but for the most part it's a direct remake right down to the locations of most of the scenes.

Infernal Affairs was also the first of a trilogy. The second film, which delves into the origins of the characters prior to the first movie, is great while the third movie is only so-so. The third film was too confusing to me with the storyline constantly switching between 6 months before the first movie and 6 months after the first movie. As a stand-alone trilogy, they make a solid three films and are definitely worth watching especially if you enjoyed The Departed.

What I have a hard time accepting is that the Hollywood Academy chose to (finally) bestow an Oscar to Mr. Scorcese for this film. Don't get misinterpret that I didn't think The Departed was deserving. I was happy that it won. It's just a little confusing that after the legendary films Scorcese has helmed which the Academy snubbed, they would finally reward him with the coveted Oscar for directing a remake. Most directors would kill to make just one of the many, many quality movies Scorcese has made: Mean Streets, Raging Bull, The Last Temptation of Christ, Taxi Driver , Goodfellas and even slightly lesser fare like Gangs of New York, Casino or The Aviator. All of these films the Academy never acknowledged for Best Picture or Best Director. Some of these snubs were understandable such as losing Best Director in 1989 to Barry Levinson for Rain Man Some snubs were questionable like Dances With Wolves/Costner winning in 1990 over Goodfellas. And some are anger inducing even today like Redford beating out Raging Bull with the suckfest that is and was Ordinary People. Giving Scorcese the Oscar for The Departed felt like a charity gift in an effort to begin to apologize for the all the times they screwed him over.

I give The Departed five Guiness car bombs (the highest honor I can give a Boston film aside from three helpings of shepherds pie). Infernal Affairs can have 5sake bombs and then try to explain to me one more time how Hong Kong is different from China. And that's about as political as this site will get.

Sorry for the long layoff. I can't even keep up commitments on things I enjoy.