Infernal Affairs Reviews

Traitors, traitors everywhere. This Hong Kong blockbuster shows us how Cop dramas should be done.

Adds a few embellishments to the cops vs. mobsters genre that makes it more thought provoking than the usual throwaway nonsense. While Lau (Tony Leung) is busy infiltrating the mobsters on behalf of the police, Ming (Andy Lau) is an undercover gangster working his way up the police ranks allowing his boss Sam (Eric Tsang) to stay one step ahead of other mobsters and the police. The usual undercover cop torment of the 'good guy in a gangsters role' is given an novel counterpoint by Ming's doubts over his choice of lifestyle, although it also packs enough action into it's tightly told story to ensure it doesn't become a rambling treatise on the nature of being. The cast list is a who's who of the HK A-list and all perform to their high expectations with Wai Keung Lau directing some of the best action since John Woo's neutering at Hollywoods hands, with any deaths on either side feeling as though they have real consequence compared to the astronomical body counts of some efforts. Highly recommended.

The old switcheroo

Film viewing is a hit and miss business. Half the time when I walk out of a cinema I'm thinking about various ways to get my money back.

Not so with this little beauty.

Basically, two young men are recruited to infiltrate their opponents (the police and a gang respectively). They do not know who the other is, only that they exist. Lies, deceit and brutal violence follow. No one is exempt no matter how much screen time they occupy.

The premise feels so original and interesting it had me thinking about it for days afterwards.

I'm certain that we'll see a Hollywood remake of this sooner or later.

Watch it now and you'll be able to say, 'I saw the original'.

a hong kong classic

this film is quite simply of one the best hong kong films i have seen in a long time.

infernal affairs has been described in many film mags as being like Michael Mann's Heat. In many ways, this is true but the film is far more than that.

A tale of two moles on both sides of the law (a mole on the police force working for a triad boss and a police informer in the triad gang)you can somehow expect this film to be remade by hollywood sooner or later.

I feel the film is a slow burner and contains very little action. But when the action happens it does have an emotional impact. Something Hong Kong films tend to do better than Hollywood.

I still rate this film 5 stars. It has Hong Kongs finest actors and the ending...ha let's say its not what you expect.

A marvellous film.

Arguably the best 'cop' film ever made

Barring L.A. Confidential, the ‘cop’ genre is one that Hollywood seems to continually do wrong, so it not surprising to find a movie which is arguably the best film this genre has ever seen, appear from abroad.

It is very hard to make a good ‘cop’ film, let alone a ‘great’ one. Far too many contain too much testosterone, and the slower ones are simply boring. This film balances subtlety and action to perfection. In fact, there is far less action than you may expect. But the action that is there, is fast-paced and very effective.

Yan and Ming are played masterfully by Andy Lau and Tony Leung. It is quite rare to see two performances that are so commanding, and the few scenes that we see them together are electrifying. This film also has a sharp sense of humour, that manages to come across even in the subtitles!

The director seems to have an intuitive sense in knowing what the perfect shot is, and some of his camera work helps this film to transcend its genre.

The plot is gripping and intelligent, and with a prequel just released in the cinema, and another film in the pipe works, these films could stand tall next to The Godfather trilogy.

What DVD players are made for

What a spectacular film. I actually saw it in the cinema and wanted to see it again desperately. The performances are strong, the plot is convoluted but never confusing and it gets better with each viewing. There is some cheesy music and a slightly unnecessary love theme but hey, this is Hong Kong cinema! It achieved what all great subtitled films should - after a few minutes I stopped noticing that I was reading the subtitles and just enjoyed the film.

I've heard Scorcese is handling the US remake, so we might be saved from the usual remake disasters - but how are they going to replace the Hong Kong setting? Those rooftop scenes won't be the same without that stunning backdrop!

Appalling

I rented this based on recommendations and having seen the superb The Departed. What a massive disappointment. The action was non-existent, as was the character development. The villain was about as villainous as a librarian. The worst thing though was the script. I reckon it was what I would have written at the age of about 10. Clunky, childish and completely uncool. If this is what Asian cinema is all about, forget it. The Departed is so much better in every respect. Hollywood wins by a landslide.

Not what I expected...

Entirely not what I was expecting from a Hong Kong action movie.

Deep, well thought through, realistic and with a heavy emphasis on the characters and the effect of the events on them. This is a genuinely thoughtful movie that also manages to pack in a stunning amount of impact.

Visceral and violent, it succeeds on all levels. Highly recommended.

Stunning and uncomprimising

Infernal Affairs is the kind of movie Hollywood would love to make, but is ultimately only capable of shelling out cash for a US remake.

There's a mole operating in Internal Affairs. And there's a mole operating in one of the biggest triad mobs in Hong Kong. The leaders of both groups know who their undercover man is, and there's a frantic race to discover who's working against them before the other party does. Needless to say this means a brutally tense atmosphere, and some wonderful set-pieces.

There's also some wonderfully weighted central performances from the lead characters - Andy Lau and Tony Leung - and a truly fantastic ending that'll smack you right in the back of the head. With some understated gunplay and well-plotted twists and turns, Infernal Affairs never degenerates into farce, and it's tightly scripted storyline never fails to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Catch it now before the inevitably poor remake sullies its name.

Brillaint film!! Absolutly brillaint. The film starts of with a small introduction about the two main characters, then after that the film explodes with entertainment. The first 40 mins are brillaint and i was suprised i could experience so much suspense without knowing much about the characters. After the 40 mins there are snippets of scenes about the two main characters private life which give the film depth. But even though the scenes are short, because of the great acting and brillaint screen play the film never slows down and still has alot of depth. The editing is a bit dodgy in places and cool in others. Also the subtitles are so fast in places you need to be Superman to read them. But overall this is a great film about good and evil with a brillaint cast. If Brad Pitt does get the rights to this film then he and his colleagues will have a huge task of making a film that is up there with this classic of an original.

Get Blown Away by Bullet Ballet Masterpiece

Wow, what an amazing film! 'Internal Affairs' is gripping from start to finish with a fantastic cast, non stop action and a brilliant story. This is the best cop film I have ever seen - so much better than any Hollywood action flick and even better than John Woo! That's right, I said it!

I urge you to watch this film, it is a fantastic journey to go on - even before the credits have rolled we've experienced more story than some films stretch out into 2 hours!

Andy Lau and Tony Leung are wonderful as the lead roles - a twist on the good cop/bad cop characters. The film addresses moral dilemmas that give weight to the action, cinematography is brilliant and the intensity of the atnosphere leaps off the screen.

I haven’t seen a film this good in a long time - I cannot recommend it enough!

Truly a masterpiece.

Full time score: Hong Kong -1 Hollywood - Nil.