Finally! Finally a remake that doesn’t make me think of the original classic upon which it was based. Scorsese’s THE DEPARTED is to INFERNAL AFFAIRS what THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN is to SEVEN SAMURAI. It is its own film, in its own culture, time and period. The characters are not English speaking substitutes for the original brilliant Hong Kong cast, they are their own characters. That said – INFERNAL AFFAIRS was never on the level with SEVEN SAMURAI – and THE DEPARTED, while absolutely wonderful… is not THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN – didn’t have to be, it’s THE DEPARTED.

Now – I’m not going to regurgitate the plot and the twists. Anyone that spoils that sort of thing on this film should have their kneecaps blown out. I’ve seen the film twice now, once at a press screening… and tonight, opening night, with a packed Austin audience at the Galaxy Highland 10. I was taking Yoko, as she didn’t make the earlier screening and frankly – I was just using her as my excuse to see it again. I think next, I’ll take my sister – cuz I know she hasn’t seen it yet and this is a “must see” film.

This isn’t a GOODFELLAS or a CASINO. Nor is this a MEAN STREETS type of Scorsese. In an odd way… I saw it as his ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES. His Michael Curtiz Pop Americana Cops and Robbers flick. This is Scorsese, not ripping open the soul of crime to show the moral decay eating away at the criminal’s conscience. Rather, this is the game. The Game of Cops & Robbers. The back and forth. As the film goes on, you can see Scorsese throwing his hands up in the air and screaming, “What the fuck, Let’s have some Bloody Fucking Fun!”

I haven’t seen Scorsese having this much fun since Deniro’s Max Cady hit the screen with Juliette Lewis. And this time out, it’s Nicholson doing his take on the Cagney-esque madman / genius crook. Literally, “the rock star” as Alec Baldwin calls his character. This is Scorsese’s Big Top. Three Rings. The Cops, The Robbers and The Rats. All performing magnificently. In an odd way, this is the perfect capper for Scorsese’s DiCaprio trilogy of GANGS OF NEW YORK, THE AVIATOR and now this film.

It’s the best of those three, by leaps and bounds. Gangs never worked for me, AVIATOR dazzled but was in the end, it was missing something. Something Scorsese was missing. It was a great film, just not a great Scorsese film. Cinematically it was flat out a marvel, but it was always a fantasy to me, never fully anchored to our reality. In fact, that was the point of the film. Very much a confection.

With THE DEPARTED – it is not only a tasty film, but cinematically, aurally and performance wise it’s fantastic. It’s a heightened universe where cops and robbers have the most amazing personalities, charisma and poise. However, the nastiest of shit that can happen in the real world happens to them. It’s great. It’s the blending of the pop and the art into the showiest Scorsese, that still FEELS Scorsese that we’ve seen to date.

I’m gonna wrap this up, there’s been so much that’s been written on AICN about THE DEPARTED in the last few days, that to go on and on would seem like such a hard sale. But before I can go… I’ve got to point out one geek thing that Scorsese did that completely made me giddy. Marty did a couple of Iris outs and ins that – well… They were just absolutely awesome to see on the big screen in a modern film.

And... for this film, the title says it all... For the past year or so, I've hated the title. Having seen the film - It is absolutely the only title that would work.

Go see THE DEPARTED this weekend. It’s worth every penny.