Choosing South Boston instead of New York City this time around (much of the film was still shot in the Big Apple), The Departed focuses on two Massachusetts State Police officers: street-smart William Costigan Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) and the ambitious Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). The two have never met, but their lives will become intertwined courtesy of Southie mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), the main target of the State's war on organized crime.

Costigan accepts an undercover assignment to infiltrate Costello's organization. Sullivan, to whom Costello has been a father figure to since he was a kid, works his way up the Special Investigation Unit food chain while doubling as Costello's informant inside the Department. For a while, each man handles their double life quite well. But as the saying goes, all "good" things must come to an end: both the police and Costello are growing suspicious that they each have an informant on their payroll.

With solid turns by Andy Lau and Tony Leung and an emphasis on story and themes instead of over-the-top action scenes (a facet of Hong Kong cinema that got old for me about 14 years ago), Infernal Affairs was one of the better Asian crime thrillers I have seen in a while. Involving without being flashy or melodramatic, the strength of its drama stemmed from its performances and a solid script.

In comparison to this new film, however, Infernal Affairs seems a bit anemic. It's no real fault of that film, which I recommend you rent on DVD. It's simply a matter of having one of American cinema's top visionaries getting hold of the material and working with a first-rate screenwriter, cast and crew to really turn it into something special.

Departed finds Scorsese once again working at the top of his game. His directing is a bit more laid-back and less flashy than previously, but no less impressive or vigorous because of it. He moves the story along with great confidence and ease, examining the multiple characters that inhabit the story without sacrificing pacing or the continually mounting tension. Backed by his longtime collaborators (editor Thelma Schoonmaker, cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and production designer Kristi Zea), Scorsese draws you into this brutal, seedy universe of cops and criminals right from the start and refuses to let you go for the next 151 minutes (which feels more like 75).

As great as Marty's work is, William Monahan (Kingdom of Heaven) deserves an equal amount of praise for his excellent screenplay adaptation. Monahan remains quite faithful to Infernal in terms of story, but goes the extra mile to create story and character depth. He also does a terrific job transporting the story from Hong Kong to Boston and incorporating the city's minutiae. His dialogue is sharp, profane and at times, hilarious. And his examinations of the original's loyalty and identity themes (as well as a subplot involving a psychiatrist, played by Vera Farmiga) are given plenty of room to breathe and grow. This is a smart, layered piece of work worthy of awards recognition.

The icing on Departed's cake is its remarkable ensemble cast. Nicholson, who based Costello on Southie crime boss James "Whitey" Bulger, alternates between menace and humour perfectly. DiCaprio and Damon each handle their roles with great conviction, while Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin and Martin Sheen and Ray Winstone deliver superb supporting roles. Everybody gives it their all, working together without overshadowing one another to bring to life Monahan's dialogue and characters with brilliant precision.

Is The Departed Scorsese's best work since Goodfellas? No (that honour belongs to 2005's remarkable documentary Bob Dylan: No Direction Home), but it sure comes close. Unfortunately, I doubt it will win Scorsese the Best Director award at next year's Oscars. But in the end, will that really matter? Once the Academy has done its thing, The Departed will still be then what is now: a brutal beauty of a film.

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