STARRING:MATT DAMON,LEONARDO DI CAPRIO,JACK NICHOLSON,VERA FARMIGA,MARTIN SHEEN,MARK WHALBERG,RAY WINSTONE,ANTHONY ANDERSON,ALEC BALDWIN

BASED ON THE FILM "INFERNAL AFFAIRS" WRITTEN BY ALAN MAK & FELIX CHONG

SCREENPLAY BY WILLIAM MONAHAN

PRODUCED BY BRAD GREY,GRAHAM KING,BRAD PITT & MARTIN SCORSESE

DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE

GENRE:CRIME/DRAMA/THRILLER

RATED:AUSTRALIA:MA/UK:18/USA:R

RUNNIGN TIME:151 MINS

Billy Costigan (Leonardo Di Caprio) is a young undercover cop assigned to infiltrate the Irish mob led by the ruthless Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), who has his own mole planted in the Boston Special Investigation Unit named Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon). As both men get deep undercover the pressure of living a double life starts to bear down on them, only for the stakes to get even higher when both sides find out that they are being watched from the inside, leaving only a matter of time for one to find who the other is.
A remake of Infernal Affairs, director Martin Scorsese and writer William Monaghan have taken a foreign classic and have created an excellent crime thriller. Leonardo Di Caprio finally delivers a performance worthy of the trust that Scorsese has put in him with this, their third collaboration, their best. A fine actor whose baby faced looks have always held him back, Di Caprio has shed his weaknesses finally growing into himself and delivering an excellent performance.
Matt Damon is also great. He continues to impress as an actor, choosing the right scripts and working with the right people. Both Damon and DiCaprio give their very best, accurately portraying the anxiety and loneliness their characters go through, Di Caprio in particular a treat as he slowly descends into a nervous reck popping pills by the handful while trying not to get his head blown off.
The only source of comfort for both men comes from Madelyn (Vera Farmiga), a psychiatrist who becomes personally involved with both men, a sub plot that others have said to be the film's only weakness but that I found essential to ease the tension and bring more depth to Di Caprio's and Damon's characters, with Farmiga more than able to stand toe to toe with her two leading men.
Great support comes from Mark Whalberg as the foul mouthed Sergeant Dignam while veteran actors Martin Sheen and Alec Baldwin are also great. Yet it is Jack Nicholson who steals the show as Frank Costello, the sadistic mob boss whose un-PC, unpredictable nature the perfect treat for Nicholson to sink his teeth into, which he does with much ferocity turning in one of his best performances in the process.
Urban film making at its best, The Departed is a brutally violent, beautifully crafted, incredibly well acted piece of film making that will knock you on your butt.