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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 date; UK critics are listed first)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 19 2007 03:15 AM

Channel 4 Film

N/R

Geoff Andrew

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jun., 24 2006 03:43 AM

Time Out

tomato
4/5

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 01 2006 03:50 AM

Empire Magazine

N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 09 2004 08:16 AM

Guardian [UK]

tomato
3/5

Jamie Russell

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

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 16 2004 05:08 PM

BBC

tomato
4/5

Matthew Turner

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Mar., 01 2004 05:49 PM

ViewLondon

N/R

Devin Faraci

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 27 2009 03:15 AM

CHUD

N/R

Urban Cinefile Critics

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 18 2008 04:27 AM

Urban Cinefile

tomato
3/4

Joe Lozito

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Dec., 27 2007 03:15 AM

Big Picture Big Sound

N/R

Dana Stevens

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 07 2006 04:13 AM

Slate

tomato
A

Emanuel Levy

Seductively shot and beautifully acted, this is like a summation film, bringing together all the themes, motifs, mood, and style of the gritty policier Hong Kong thriller, one that will make John Woo and Michael Mann proud.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 18 2006 10:48 AM

EmanuelLevy.Com

tomato

Jeffrey M. Anderson

This intense, explosive Hong Kong thriller ushers in a new era of hyper-intelligent action.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 26 2006 03:16 AM

Combustible Celluloid

tomato
7/10

Dragan Antulov

well-written, well-directed and well-acted genre film

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 26 2005 09:40 AM

Draxblog Movie Reviews

splat
C+

Nick Schager

Ultimately quiet tepid.

Full Review Source: | comment 3 Comments | May., 04 2005 11:12 AM

Lessons of Darkness

tomato
4/5

Pablo Villaca

Um inteligente drama policial que se preocupa mais com o desenvolvimento de seus personagens (e com as relações entre estes) do que com tiroteios e reviravoltas.

comment Comment | May., 03 2005 12:37 AM

Cinema em Cena

splat
3/5

Brian Mckay

Far too light on action to be very exciting, and far too generic and familiar to be genuinely intriguing, Infernal Affairsis ultimately a forgettable affair.

Full Review Source: | comment 2 Comments | Mar., 03 2005 02:24 PM

eFilmCritic.com

tomato
4/4

G. Allen Johnson

Everything you'd want in a police action thriller: powerhouse performances, Grade A production values, a good script and suspenseful direction.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 04 2005 02:56 PM

San Francisco Chronicle

tomato
B

Robert Roten

Potboiler Hong Kong cop drama with a fairly interesting plot about moral dilemmas and mixed allegiances.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 04 2005 12:26 PM

Laramie Movie Scope

tomato
8/10

Jeffrey Chen

Solid character-centric piece that's more interested in psychology than in gritty action sequences.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 03 2005 10:04 PM

Window to the Movies

tomato
3.5/4

Josh Larsen

...has an intensity usually reserved for Greek tragedy.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 05 2005 01:39 PM

Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)

 
 
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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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