HOUSE 77 Xmas EDITION

This place is kinda dead lately huh? Hopefully a couple people will read it.

So I watched the Departed just now. Meh...it is the same as Infernal Affairs parts 1, 2 and 3 except for some knit-picked details. The basic plot is the same. Bad-guy pretends to be good-guy, good-guy pretends to be bad-guy. For those who may not know - the film is in fact BASED on Infernal Affairs, a Hong Kong flick with the same plot-points save for again a few minor details. Also The Departed tries to fit parts one and two into one film. Part three of Infernal Affairs is after the main plotline.

ANYWAY...I liked the film. I liked it a lot, the same way I liked Infernal Affairs. The plot is EXTREMELY well planned. The script is well executed by ALL actors - especially DiCaprio (who I normally really don't like save for the Aviator) The direction is fantastic - better than the original Chinese film. I'd easily call it one of the best films of 2006.

But I have this continually nagging voice in the back of my head saying "you've seen this before." And I have - granted I had to read subtitles to understand Infernal Affairs - but Infernal Affairs was no less of a film, and it has originality. That being said, Star Wars steals elements from other films. The Matrix is said to borrow certain concepts from anime like Ghost in the Shell or other sci-fi flicks like Dark City. There are lots of cases of modern remakes of older classic films like Oceans Eleven, The Ladykillers, King Kong (two times no less!). Hollywood often remakes films. But the thing that bugs me is that it is one thing to introduce a film to a generation who never had the chance to see a film when they were younger. I mean in the case of King Kong's original remake in the 70s - it had been 43 years since the original was made. That is a lot of people who had never seen it. And so the film made it accessible to them.

Buuuuut The Departed came out four years after the original Infernal Affairs. And three years after the finale of the trilogy. So I guess I just find it a shame that while The Departed is getting a huge amount of praise (as it should - it is a great film in every respect - be it acting, direction, cinematography or script), Infernal Affairs isn't getting the respect it should considering it is also an excellent film. So I encourage you to find the Infernal Affairs trilogy and watch that as well if you see the Departed to see what it was based on.

Finally...all I know is that if this film gets Martin Scorsese a freaking Oscar for best director...I'll be happy.