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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: Action/Adventure

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)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
06/19/07
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
04/09/04
Guardian [UK]
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
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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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: CHUD | comment Comment
02/27/09
Devin Faraci
Devin Faraci
CHUD
N/R

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Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

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Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
12/27/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
N/R

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Full Review Source: Slate | comment Comment
10/07/06
Dana Stevens
Dana Stevens
Slate

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: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
08/18/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

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

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

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

Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/26/05
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews

Ultimately quiet tepid.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment 3 Comments
05/04/05
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

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
05/03/05
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

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: eFilmCritic.com | comment 2 Comments
03/03/05
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

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

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
02/04/05
G. Allen Johnson
G. Allen Johnson
San Francisco Chronicle

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

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
02/04/05
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

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

Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
02/03/05
Jeffrey Chen
Jeffrey Chen
Window to the Movies

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

Full Review Source: Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
01/05/05
Josh Larsen
Josh Larsen
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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