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Jack Nicholson as Frank Costello, head of Boston's Irish mob

And to his credit, Scorsese has delivered an intelligent, briskly paced crime drama that's almost never dull in its 149 minutes. The editing constantly shifts between Costigan and Sullivan, so we often know what the other is doing at all times. It brings consistency to the tone of the story's more complex plot point, going back and forth with the actions of the two moles as they try to undermine one side by helping another.

The Departed does falter slightly with a couple missed opportunities. A key scene involves the police's attempted trade bust between Costello and a Chinese gang. It goes wrong because of simple failure to stage cameras throughout the meeting place. The same scene was far more mesmerizing in the first thirty minutes of Infernal Affairs, as both moles try to use their wits and resources to outmaneuver the other side.

Also frustrating is how The Departed fails to explore both father figures in the script. They're thorough with Costello—Costigan and Sullivan are both stuck with him, forced to respect him for completely different reasons. But Queenan is underdeveloped as the analogue to Costello. His character is far more poignant and meaningful in the original movie, building a relationship as the moral compass both agents wish they had.

Martin Sheen as Captain Queenan and Mark Wahlberg as the potty-mouthed Sergeant Dignam

But the real problem is with the content itself. The Departed has lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of profanity. Wahlberg's Dignam is about as foul-mouthed a cop as you'll find, particularly fond of the f-bomb, and even using one of those words considered worse than the f-bomb. It got to the point where the excess of objectionable material hampered my enjoyment of the overall picture—and before you start suggesting the need for realistic portrayals of criminals and streetwise cops, consider that Infernal Affairs was every bit as believable with an identical storyline, yet could almost have been scaled down to a PG-13 with its content.

The violence is more comparable to Goodfellas than the original in blood and brutality. There's also a key scene where Sullivan meets Costello in a movie theater for information; in this version, Scorsese sets it in a porno theater and has Costello play a crude prank with a sex toy. And Scorsese once again can't resist slapping the Catholic church with the implication of yet another pedophile priest. Thankfully, they supposedly trimmed a scene that led to Costello's participation in a drug-fueled orgy with two women—like almost everything else here, completely unnecessary and gratuitous.

Which is unfortunate, because aside from the offensive material, The Departed fires on all cylinders as one of the best crime dramas ever made—smart, suspenseful, and technically well made from every angle. Of course, it's nice that there's an alternative for those unwilling to look past the excesses of The Departed. I cannot deny that it's an extremely well executed flick, but for a less epic and vulgar film experience, yet equally satisfying version of the same story, stick with Infernal Affairs.

1. Considering the predicaments in which Costigan and Sullivan find themselves, do you believe The Departed is saying that our choices and actions are black and white, or is there more grey involved when trying to do good or evil? What do you personally believe based on experience and biblical teaching? Is there grey in the way things unfold in everyday life

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