Composer:
Kwong-Wing ChanCast:
Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Kelly Wai-lam Chan, Sammi Cheng, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Gordon Lam, Chapman To, Berg Ng, Kin-yung Chang (more)Plots(1)
Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung) is a hard-nosed veteran cop sent undercover to infiltrate the notorious Triad crime ring. An expert at bringing down violent syndicates, Chan thinks it's going to be a routine mission. What he's not prepared for is the discovery that the Triad's boss (Eric Tsang) has planted a mole (Andy Lau) in the police department ... and now Chan is being hunted down. In this battle of wills, only one cop can win! (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (10)
Infernal Affairs is a high-quality crime drama with standard subject matter, but with an unexpected outcome. The motif of a duel between two men on opposite sides of the law, each empowered by the other, is Woo-esque, albeit without amazing Woo-eque action. The characters are thoroughly well developed, as is the dynamic visual aspect, even in the peaceful scenes. One of the exemplary works of its kind, enhanced with an intellectual dimension that won’t exactly put a smile on your face.
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There’s hardly any action, which I consider a fatal flaw in an action movie. And it’s not even saved by the interestingly constructed, though in essence banal, plot. The characters are well portrayed and you’ll whether you like Eastern mysticism and gimmicks or not, but that is the only positive aspect I found, the rest is boredom and mediocrity. Very average movie, I don't understand the high ratings, but that's normal here.
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Scorsese's version got to me. After all, it's a powerful film with a great plot and is excellently directed. The original Infernal Affairs is directed with a slightly less sure hand, but that's simply because Scorsese is a genius in this regard. However, the Hong Kong creators were definitely not far behind him; on the contrary, I was incredibly surprised by how self-assured this film is, and I'm a bit surprised that it didn't even earn a nomination for a foreign Oscar. The musical aspect is absolutely excellent, the story is original, and above all, it has a good pace. Some of the shots surprised me. If I gave Scorsese's version 100%, I can't go much lower here. A visually stunning film, but the story is simply good.
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I dare to review this remarkable gem only after watching the entire trilogy, and it won't be a surprise when I say that the first installment is also the best. A cruel game takes place before the viewer in the genre of a police thriller, so gripping that at times you can hardly breathe. When everything is also performed by an amazing quartet of actors (Yan and Commander Wong on the side of the positive heroes, and Ming with boss Sam on the evil side), no one can blame me for not being able to hold back tears during the intense moments, and for sitting with my jaw dropped for a long time after the absolute end.
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A little bit The Departed... by which I just mean this much: it's really a shame that I saw that movie before the "original". I guess even the ratings would have turned out differently. Perhaps. I really liked it and I'm glad I finally sat down to watch it. If I had been standing... :-) Definitely for those who like crime and aren't afraid of a familiar story. In short, a complete acting concert by the famous "four" (Andy, Tony, Anthony, Eric).
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