Martin Scorsese is back, and this time he brings us a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong classic "Infernal Affairs".

The original itself is an absolute must see if you haven't! Then when I read it was getting a Hollywood make over I was really excited to hear that Martin Scorsese was going to bring it to our screens.

This time not Hong Kong but Boston and Irish gangsters not triads. So here is the premise the gangsters have a mole in the police department and the police have an undercover cop in with the gangsters. Both sides get wind of each others moles and the film is based around them trying to figure out who it is with some very interesting outcomes.

Leonardo DiCaprio plays Billy Costigan the cop in with the gangsters. For me Leonardo gives the best performance in the movie having to throw himself into all the wrong doings to work his way up through the ranks and get close to the boss Frank Costello. You can feel Billy's fears and anxiety as deals with the fact that his life is on the line every minute he spends with these criminals.

Now considering Scorsese is no stranger to the gangster genre I was expected to see one of his usual collaborators like DeNiro or Liotta in the role of Costello but to my surprise it was to be Jack Nicholson. My first thoughts on this would be that he would overplay this character and sadly I was right. There are moments of brilliance from him but I feared he was come off as funny crazy when it should be homicidal crazy.

Like all of Scorsese's work "The Departed" has a fantastic ensemble cast. Comprising of Martin Sheen, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, our own Ray Wintsone and a truly great and memorable performance from Mark Wahlberg.

Mr Scorsese also stamps his unique stamp on this film with it's inspired camera work, Howard Shore's soundtrack and masses of blood stained violence that we have come to expect from the master filmmaker.

I've been reading that the buzz in Hollywood is that Martin Scorsese is finally going to get the Oscar nod for this one, for me it's not quite Goodfellas which is the film I'd give it to him for! All the same a must see for all Scorsese fans and great interpretation of it's Hong Kong inspiration.

by Jay

Costello "When I was your age, they would say you could become cops or criminals. What I'm saying is this: When you're facing a loaded gun, what's the difference?"