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Movies / On DVD / Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs

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Infernal Affairs (2003)

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Reviews Counted:59

Fresh:56

Rotten:3

Average Rating:7.6/10

Consensus: Smart and engrossing, this is one of Hong Kong's better cop thrillers.

Rated: 15 [See Full Rating] for violence

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:27-02-2004

Synopsis: Directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, INFERNAL AFFAIRS is a tense thriller featuring Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau and Tony Leung. The film follows the parallel lives of Ming (Lau), a cop who... Directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, INFERNAL AFFAIRS is a tense thriller featuring Hong Kong superstars Andy Lau and Tony Leung. The film follows the parallel lives of Ming (Lau), a cop who secretly reports to ruthless Triad crime boss Sam (Eric Tsang); and Yan (Leung), an undercover police officer who poses as a Triad member in Sam's gang. For Yan, the years of living in the criminal underworld have taken their toll, and he longs to return to regular police duty. However, the only person who knows Yan's true identity is his mentor Superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong), also the unsuspecting superior of Ming. When Wong's officers come face to face with Sam's gang, both leaders realize there are moles in their midst. Soon Yan and Ming must track each other down, leading to an inevitable confrontation. Unlike many contemporary Hong Kong films, INFERNAL AFFAIRS steers clear of over-the-top action in favor of a more stylized and subdued story that builds on emotional and psychological tension. Leung is riveting as the undercover cop who desperately wants a normal life, while Lau instills his corrupt character with confidence and charm that mask his deep inner conflict. These two stellar turns are ably supported by veteran actors Wong and Tsang, along with Sammi Cheng and Kelly Chen. A huge blockbluster in Asia, INFERNAL AFFAIRS is a landmark of Hong Kong cinema that deserves the same status abroad. [More]

Starring: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang

Starring: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang, Sammi Cheng, Kelly Chen, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue, Elva Hsiao

Director: Wai Keung Lau, Alan Mak

Director: Wai Keung Lau, Alan Mak
Screenwriter: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Wai Keung Lau
Studio: Miramax Films

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Reviews for Infernal Affairs

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's refreshing enough to make up for its occasional missteps in the storytelling department.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
03/16/04
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
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Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
03/01/04
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
04/09/04
Guardian [UK]
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
06/19/07
Channel 4 Film
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It's all made artful by tense direction, gleaming cinematography and a complex performance by the never-disappointing Leung, who takes a stock character and fills him with brooding life.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
09/25/04
E! Online
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Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
11/19/04
Boston Globe
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Beauty in its consistent, washed-out blues and silvers, grace in its understated, intense male performances and energy in its unyielding commitment to tone and tension.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
12/24/04
Allison Benedikt
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune

Driven by two great performances surrounded by solid supporting acts, Infernal Affairs is the rare testosterone movie that is also mature and thoughtful.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
02/05/03
Andrew Sun
Andrew Sun
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I was certainly happy to be trapped in the film's conceit, and the directors, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, manage to convince us that we have witnessed an action movie, although in fact the quantity of violence is so minimal.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
09/14/04
Anthony Lane
Anthony Lane
New Yorker

... furiously paced, full of drama, and as tense as elevator cable ...

Full Review Source: Movie Gazette | comment Comment
11/14/03
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Movie Gazette

It’s a cop movie that’s constantly trying to convince you it’s not just a cop movie

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
09/13/04
Chris Barsanti
Chris Barsanti
Filmcritic.com

A blistering thriller and an intelligent character study and a comic take-off on the conventions of thrillers.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
12/09/04
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

A beautifully crafted, exciting story that keeps on surprising you to the very end.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
12/02/04
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Cop thrillers don't come much more polished, or enjoyable, than Infernal Affairs.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
09/11/04
Daniel Eagan
Daniel Eagan
Film Journal International

This is the type of movie Asian action fans talk about when they say they love the genre.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
12/07/04
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

Spins in place with aplomb, generating exponentially more vertiginous doublings with each sweaty-palmed set piece.

Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
09/14/04
Dennis Lim
Dennis Lim
Village Voice

More reasonably plotted than most films of the action genre.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/20/04
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Superbly honed at both script and performance levels, with character taking precedence over action.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
09/10/04
Derek Elley
Derek Elley
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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Latest News for Infernal Affairs

August 05, 2008: Sam Jackson's Top 10 New Classic Asian Films Opens in new window
Wondering if you've seen the latest, greatest Asian movies? Samuel L. Jackson is here to help: he's drawn up a list of his Top 10 New Classic Asian Films for Entertainment Weekly. More...

February 08, 2007: Mark Wahlberg Dishes Some Dirt on "Departed 2" and Maybe "3"!
Anyone who's seen all three of the "Infernal Affairs" flicks had to know this was coming: Word is that we'll probably be getting a sequel to "The Departed,"... More...

January 22, 2007: Pre- (and Re-) "Departed"?
Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" is nearing the end of its successful box-office run, and already rumors have started that not one, but two films may be appended to... More...

October 09, 2006: Box Office Wrapup: Leo and Matt Face Off at #1 with The Departed
Martin Scorsese scored the best opening of his career, and his first number one film in fifteen years, with the star-studded gangster thriller "The Departed," which... More...

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