- directed by Martin Scorsese
Two cops from opposite sides of the tracks race against time to discover the identity of one other in an intense game of cat & mouse; one a dirty cop working for the local crime lord and the other an entrenched undercover agent working to bring down the crime syndicate from within.
Okay... right off the bat I need to say that I'm probably going to be more harsh than I need to be with this review. Objectively I realize this is a solid film, a good film, but there was something I just didn't like about it. I've come up with a lot of reasons of why this might be and when you add it all together you might get the impression that I didn't like the film but I did. If for nothing else you should at least watch this film for the acting. Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio are at a level I've never seen from them before. And to sweeten the pot further Jack Nicholson's performance trumps theirs by a hundred miles, he commands such power onscreen it's almost incredible.
I feel the greatest thing the film had working against it was the fact that I had seen the film before... in the form of it's original source material, Infernal Affairs (2002). I loved that film. And when you're working with a story like this one I feel a lot of the power lies in the unknown. I was well aware of where things were going before they happened. The story takes a lot of twists and turns that were meant to be exciting and suspenseful but were ultimately lost on me. That's not a failing on the part of the film of course, I had essentially ruined the experience already by watching the original. And in some ways I wish I hadn't because this film has tons of polish and finesse that the original lacks, it also doesn't hurt to have one of the most talented directors of our time helming the project. :P In so many ways this version of the film is the best.
Having said all that it seems petty to go on about all the other things I had a problem with, they're so minute. At the heart of this film lies a great suspenseful and dramatic story, and in the end it's all about the story. Given that it's a big budget Hollywood film directed by one of the greats you can trust that the fit and finish are top notch, there's very little about the technical aspects of the film to bemoan... although I will add that I didn't much care for the editing, I thought it was more than a bit sloppy and rushed. :P Still, all in all a fantastic picture.
7.5/10 Yeah, I know... pretty low score but I have my reasons and it shouldn't affect your decision to see it by very much. This is a great film. If you're in the mood for a solid suspense crime-drama you won't find many films better than this.
DS333, meh.
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