I appreciated the filmmakers' conviction to keep the story as gutsy as possible. The film doesn't flinch.
Infernal Affairs (2003)
Tomatometer
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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.
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
Reviews for Infernal Affairs
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.
What makes it special is the inner turmoil caused by living a lie. If everyone you know and everything you do for 10 years indicates you are one kind of person, and you know you are another, how do you live with that?
A blistering thriller and an intelligent character study and a comic take-off on the conventions of thrillers.
This is the type of movie Asian action fans talk about when they say they love the genre.
The twists offered in Infernal Affairs ... take the genre to enthralling new heights, guaranteeing that any future such efforts will have an entirely new bar for which to aim.
A beautifully crafted, exciting story that keeps on surprising you to the very end.
Infernal Affairs is the combustible Hong Kong fever dream that would emerge from a night spent watching Heat and Donnie Brasco back to back.
This is what movies are supposed to feel like -- provocative, exciting, chilling, complex and fully engaging.
Skilfully directed by cinematographer Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Infernal Affairs has the feel of a made-for-prime-time U.S. police thriller.
Asia is seizing another of our taken-for-granted, creatively neglected staples, the cop movie, and again shows us how relevant and entertaining it can be when given proper respect.
[Infernal Affairs] isn’t a good guy versus bad guy film but one that shows good and bad, both, in the makeup of the players.
A high tension police drama set in Hong Kong where the operations of both the police and crime syndicates are hobbled by moles within their organizations.
Latest News for Infernal Affairs
August 05, 2008:
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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:
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October 09, 2006:
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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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