User reviews

Most western viewers will only know the Asian crime scene from the bleak and lyrical canvas of Takeshi Kitano's work. Here we get something that at first seems far more westernized and very close to the work of one Michael Mann. Okay, enough allusions: yes "Heat" comes heavily to mind at first. but this is no simple "Heat" in Hong Kong. This a splicing of everything Asians do best in a moody, stylish tension-based thriller. From the beautiful cinematography(reminiscent of Wong Kar-Way's films)- step forward visual consultant Christopher Doyle! - and music to the graceful ying-yang undertones (mirror-images are a key theme), the film's most heroic achievement lies in its leads and in the bold ending.

Hearing that this is being considered for a remake stateside comes as no big surprise, but how Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio could possibly compete against Andy Lau and Tony Leung evokes cynicism at best. Both leads are perfect. Lau's cold calculating intellect against Leung's anguished and tormented heart, complimentary opposites. There aren't enough words to commend this fresh, invigorating film with...

Martin Scorsese's 'The Departed' was probably one of the most critically-acclaimed films of 2006, and, upon hearing the tumult of praise that accompanied its release, it was a film that I desperately wanted to see. However, I couldn't do so until I had seen the 2002 Hong Kong film upon which it was based, 'Mou gaan dou {Infernal Affairs},' directed by Wai-keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak. Fortunately, not too long ago, my local movie rental store was having a sale on their superfluous VHS tapes, at a price of $2.00 apiece. Among the cheap movies that I snapped up was a copy of 'Infernal Affairs' that looked like it had never been opened. Having now watched it, I must say that, despite my limited experience with Asian cinema, I very much enjoyed the film. 'Infernal Affairs' combines an irresistible story of intrigue, loyalty and betrayal with some extremely slick editing and camera-work; it's no surprise that the film has acquired an impressive following in the West.

Tony Leung plays Chan Wing Yan, an overwrought undercover cop who has spent the last ten years infiltrating numerous dangerous gangs and exposing their criminal dealings. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Andy Lau plays Inspector Lau Kin Ming, a police mole who is secretly working the Triad, the same gang with which Yan is currently affiliated. After an expensive drugs transaction goes wrong for both the gang and the police force, each side suspects that they have a traitor in their midst, and, in a bitterly ironic turn, it falls to each of the two moles to find out who it is. Both main actors do a good job of maintaining the intensity of the story. There are certainly countless parallels to be drawn between the characters, but what struck me most were the contrasts between the two: Ming is a cold, devoted and ruthlessly efficient, whilst Yan has been reduced to a tired and neurotic wreck after a decade of living in fear.

The plot of 'Infernal Affairs' moves forward at a ripper pace, probably owing more to Western action cinema than that from its own region. The cinematography is bright and stylish, and the climactic scene on the rooftop, with the vibrant sunlight beaming overhead, was captured to great effect {Australian-born Christopher Doyle, who has worked on such films as '2046' and 'Rabbit-Proof Fence,' contributed to this film, so you already know that the cinematography will be good}. There are several moments when the storytelling was not handled as well as it might have been: the film made too frequent use of unnecessary flashbacks, and, following the death of Superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong), we are treated to a video montage that feels like the final episode of a long-running sitcom. Also, the failed attempts of Ming's wife to finish her novel ("I don't know whether he's good or bad") was a blatantly-obvious attempt to draw parallels with Andy Lau's character. Despite my trivial complaints, 'Infernal Affairs' is an entertaining and thrilling film that I'd certainly recommend to anyone.

A seriously refreshing police thriller that cranks up the tension to the max. There's no overblown gunplay or buddy cop crap here, this baby is tight as a drum and will have your nails down to the quick. Superb performances, a tight script and tense direction make this a winner in every department. Pick it up if you can, it's fantastic.

9/10

Niz

This movie has been regarded as the cream of Hong Kong gangster and cop movie. And has won 22 awards. But we all know awards don't mean a thing sometimes. The God Father of America cinema "Martin Scorsese" himself is making a American version of the movie, titled: Departed. I'm somewhat happy to see that this movie is being recognized and acknowledged by a true master, but distraught to the possibility of disappointment.

A little history of Hong Kong film industry, being in somewhat government free state for over 100 years, Hong Kong movie industry proliferated to the state of hysteria. On one hand, everything goes as long as people get what they want for 2 hours worth. On the other hand, lack of political drama has afforded the gangster and cop drama to truly grow and mature.

Now back to the movie itself. 3 years ago, when I was still a poor student, I was loitering in the local Chinese video store as usual, looking for something exciting. The owner handed me a VHS copy of this movie, he personally recommended it and said it's new and unique. So I went home and watched it immediately. And then I said in my then dark and dingy apartment for 30 minutes, in utter silence.

There was no plot twist, and no surprise ending, no Mr. M Night's heavy handed gimmicks and Hollywood's camera tricks. But from the beginning to the end, for full 2 hours, you can cut the tension with a knife. In the end, you still don't want it to end. The story goes on in your mind, questions, bits and pieces start to put together, characters start to take shape even after the movie ended.

In my entire life, I've never seen a movie that there isn't a single excessive frame, until I saw this movie. It has forever changed my expectation on crime drama.

The story is genius and simple enough. A mole in police department working against an undercover cop in drug trafficking mafia. They don't know each other's identity, so it is like a invisible tug war between the two competing against each other's wits. I won't reveal too much of it even though like I said, there's no plot twist.

It's a fairly popular movie that has generated huge buzz when it came out, and since been talked, compared and still highly regarded as unsurpassed by countless fans worldwide. It has an all star cast in Hong Kong cinema, and of course, the screenplay, the acting, the editing, the camera work and overall directing is flawless judging by all standards.

If you are adventurous enough to try even one Hong Kong movie, try this one.

After I enjoyed Martin Scorcese's "The Departed, I decided to watch the film that inspired the celebrated director to re-make it and move the action from Hong Kong to Boston, MA, USA. I must say that I liked the original movie better: 50 minutes shorter than Scorcese's magnificent remake, "Infernal Affairs" is tighter, faster, more compelling and tells the same story better. It does not have a grand acting Jack Nicholson who basically plays Daryl Van Horne with the attitude and "Infernal Affairs" characters don't talk and don't curse as much as they do in "The Departed" but the Hong Kong's movie only benefits from it. As much as I admire Leonardo DiCaprio as Bill Castigan, Tony Leung (Yan) in his role is simply unforgettable.

This movie should be compared to movie like Heat, even when the storyline are not the same. Movies like Hardboiled and A Better Tomorrow are predominately action-based, whereas this movie is more dramatic and emotionally-driven.

The main attraction is the mole hunts but it would not be as brilliantly done if not for the fireworks between the major characters.

The title from the explanation in the intro means "Endless Purgatory Road". This philosophy, to me, really made this movie more thoughtful. The two central characters both had to walk their road, in life and in their minds for a long time. Both had no choice but to keep walking. As they cross path, they were forced to play the game of cat and mouse by their superiors. While it is not certain who's the cat and who's the mouse, one thing is certain - the loser will die.

While there are four main characters, they are all males. This should be bad for any movie but I think this is one of the exception to the rule. The emotions and tension between the four were well-scripted and brilliantly played. It is no surprised each had at least one best actor awards in the Hong Kong industry. The sequels(2 prequels) will delve deeper into it.

Plotwise - it is hard to see any holes.

Seen it around six times, a lot for a drama.

I think you should ask yourself after the movie, "what would I do if I am in the same situation?". Right and wrong is harder to separate.

This movie is well-made, stylish and extremely entertaining. However, as stated by the review from a Hong Kong viewer, there is also depth and subtlety rarely found in action/thrillers. It is this depth that makes this movie brilliant. The depth of this movie is best served by the understated yet deeply moving performances of the main characters. Viewers are allowed into the inner changes of these characters and before long, the viewers begin to care about them, be it the "good guy" (Yan) or the "bad guy" (Ming). The rest of cast successfully relate the complicated and exciting plot to the viewers, and all the supporting performances are almost flawless, perhaps with the exception of the female psychologist who seems sadly one-dimensional. I grew up in Hong Kong but has since lived most of my life in Canada. With this duo-cultural background, I have mixed feelings about the Hollywood remaking of this movie. On the one hand, I am happy for the Hollywood recognition of this great movie by remaking it. On the other hand, I would hate to see how badly sabotaged the end result would be. Some things just do not translate. As a minimum, I hope the great director Scorcese will make good use of the major plot line and generate a haute thriller and with the excellent cast, develop some in-depth characterization. The Chinese philosophy and the spirit of the original film is better left undisturbed.

As cadets, Lau and Chan both show promise as police officers. However, Chan is removed from the training and send to be a long-term undercover in Sam's gang. However, unbeknownst to the police, Lau is also a long-term mole who is feeding information back to Sam. When Sam and police chief SP Wong both have their operations scuppered, each realises the other has a mole and sets out to uncover each. With each other's lives at risk, Lau and Chan must be the first to uncover the other.

I decided to see this after hearing good things about it but I was conscious that often foreign films can be given more leniency than Western films doing the same thing. After a slightly confusing opening few moments as characters settle down (not helped by using completely different actors for characters at late teens and late 20's - do people change that much?) the film immediately becomes gripping. The plot may well have the occasional hole and have unnecessary personal details (Lau's girlfriend and Chan's ex weren't really needed) but the central story is well written and told with such urgency that it is hard not to be totally engaged.

The film doesn't have many massive shoot outs or action scenes but it has a pretty consistent sense of tension that is enjoyable right up to a typical but impacting ending. The direction is stylish and only occasionally overuses the slow-mo jump cuts. It may owe more to American cinema than that of the Orient but it is still a very good film and I hope the inevitable remake will be as good.

The cast don't need to do that much apart from look intense and portray the tension of the story in a realistic fashion - something that they do well. At times the lead two actors are pushed out of this by the personal asides but they happily keep things on track. Both Lau and Leung play it very well - it never came down to good guy/bad guy and the audience was pretty well split. Wong is a solid officer while Tsang is good as Sam. Chen and Cheng may not have a great deal to do apart from slowing the film but they both look good doing it.

Overall this is a solidly enjoyable cop thriller, regardless of what country it comes from. It will eventually be remade I imagine and when it is I hope that it manages to retain it's consistent sense of tension, double-edged characters and a real tight hold on it's audience just as this did here.

1 good cop goes undercover with the mob. Another bad cop goes undercover with the police force. Both undercover cops try to outsmart each other in an intricate web of undercover deceit.

Quite complicated to follow this stories subtleties at moments. There are so many people double crossing each other, that it is hard to keep count. This movie has got a continuous suspenseful mood, which is quite fascinating to watch.

The drama is a bit lacking though, because the characters are very introvert and there are many of them, whom we all dont know very well.So it's rather difficult to really relate to 1 leading character, because there basically isnt one. This lack of a clear and defined leading role dillutes the power of this drama somewhat. Furthermore the editing is too fast at moments, making it hard to understand where some of the characters come from.

It could have been a more gripping movie, with better (slower) editing and a more restrained and focussed build up of the story. Still a worthwhile detective drama, which is probably only suited for those who like intelligent detective stories.

A deceptively simple idea lies at the heart of this complex thriller: the Hong Kong police and a triad gang both have an informer in each other's organisation: whoever's man picks the enemies' spy first wins the game for his side. Add to that the customary double-agent-doesn't-know-which-side-he-is-on-anymore subplot (doubled, of course), and you have plenty of ingredients for a plot, although it's to the movie's credit that although a little stylised, it never seems false or contrived. Fast-paced and bold, with a generous score, it never insults the viewer's intelligence either, and features just the right level of moral ambiguity. At one level, it's just another thriller, and there's little in the way of wider political or social subtext; but on the other hand, it's a textbook lesson in the art of making this sort of film.

It's a sentiment that has been echoed many times since the release of Martin Scorcese's "The Departed," but it's worth saying once more. Without "Internal Affairs," "The Departed" would not exist. The film is not without its flaws-it is, at times hokey and lapses between scenes derail the continuity at points. But the intriguing premise, vivid characters, slick visuals, and break-neck pacing come together to produce a film that isn't only fun to watch, but substantive. It would be unfair to place Scorcese's re-make on the pedestal it stands to occupy, without acknowledging this film.

This isn't Nicholson, Damon, and DiCaprio, but the acting is no less compelling. Tony Leung, ragged and feral is a stark contrast to his adversary, played capably by Andy Lau, who traverses dangerous ground as a Triad packaged as a charming and talented detective. Eric Tsang and Anthony Wong both turn in performances that buttress the theme of dichotomy as two weathered veterans, engaged in a human chess match with the lives of their protégées at stake.

The story revolves around a would-be officer, played by Leung, a former academy standout, hand-picked to infiltrate the Triads for an indefinite amount of time. Simultaneously, the Triads send a young solider to establish a vein of intelligence within the police department. Both men quickly rise in their respective agencies, enmeshing themselves in the operations, finding it increasingly difficult to see the way out and as years pass, increasingly difficult to separate reality from the lives that they've built on a foundation of deceit. Their paths come to a head when those who commissioned them inform them that they each man must identify and expose the other, all while avoiding being discovered by their own.

Thematically, the film showcases the delicate interplay between truth and deceit, safety and death, crime and justice that subtly manifests itself in the fabric of this film and never wavers. Masterfully crafted tension is broken up in parts by comic moments that are as fleeting as any sense of security afforded its protagonist.

The most important aspect of this film, the notion that the two leads are reflections of one another, that every man has a propensity for good and evil, that dilemmas of justice like morality have no easy solutions is not new, by any means. But here, it is treated in a manner that is neither stale nor heavy handed. The two lead characters are as connected as they are opposed, something which is explored here to a greater degree here than in the Scorcese remake.

Although "The Departed" borrows much from this film, it does not achieve the level of cohesion or the richness of connection between its characters. That's not to say that Scorcese's film is a failure; it's an entertaining film with viable themes. And though this came first, the Westernized version is still worth watching even if only for the star powered cast, for a taste of Scorcese's signature gangster lean, or for Alec Baldwin's scene stealing banter. After reading so many responses to the film on this site, it's clear that some of the credit for its warm reception is due to the film being set in the city of Boston. But for whatever reason, this story just seems more at home in the alternately murky and glowing streets of Hong Kong.

I ran across this movie some time ago on Netflix, and the description intrigued me. While I am not always one for subtitled films, I did not find it to be a distraction with his movie because the plot captivated me.

As many of you are aware, this movie was remade by Hollywood and released in 2006 under the name "The Departed" where it has been treated by the media as such a "fabulous" and "innovative" storyline. None of them bothered to discover that "The Departed" was a remake of this movie.

Happily, some of the classic lines such as chopping one up and feeding him to the poor survived the Hollywood chopping block, but the fabulous method of communicating secretly via Morse Code did not make the transition from Hong Kong to Hollywood.

My suggestion: if you loved this original, then do not disappoint yourself watching the Hollywood remake.

In this film, which would later be remade in the West as The Departed, two young men are forced to play a deadly game of cat and mouse with their identities and even very lives on stake. Because it turns out that one of them is an undercover cop infiltrating the triads, while the other is a mole in the police force reporting directly to a powerful crime boss.

As in The Departed, the setting and the central idea is truly fantastic here. The duality of these two men is quite fascinating. Both very similar in character, in skill and in conviction. They simply happened to start from different sides. And yet their paths are eerily similar. Both shoulder the burden of secrets they cannot reveal even to their loved ones. Both have crisis of identity, for ten years is a long time to live under pretense without it sometimes seeming like reality.

The film is also beautifully acted and shot with skill. Andy Lau as the mole and Tony Leung as the undercover cop are easily the best, but the supporting cast is also strong, though not quite all of them receive the screen time they perhaps would have deserved. Both love interests, for example, are barely in the film.

The only other gripe I have about the film is the fact the the plot lost me a couple of times. I always got back on track relatively quickly, but it still meant that I spent a minute or two wondering what had just happened. I've had this problem with Asian films before and it's a matter of style. They simply tell their stories a bit differently. So not really a flaw, but something to keep in mind.

Overall Infernal Affairs is a great crime film and I can see why they wanted to make The Departed after seeing it. Definitely worth a watch for all fans of the genre.

I looked over a squad of reviews and was sad not to see anyone writing from Hong Kong. So I am putting in my piece.

Hong Kong movies have changed a lot in the last decade and when Infernal Affairs came out it was a real change. I noted 'Golden Chicken' was mentioned earlier, and that sums up many of the lame comedies that have recently been churned out. However the comedy is a large part of Hong Kong cinema, as is the gangster genre.

Infernal Affairs breaks with the comedy, keeps the gangsters (lau being a first class clean cut one - whilst Leung acts a remarkable strained police officer) and adds clever and intelligent tension. The acting is first class, as is the mood that truly captures the zeitgeist.

This movie is about the two characters and their similarities and moral obstacles. It also has something subtle to say.

This film was huge news in Hong Kong and the mainland. It is an important Hong Kong film.

The US remake will be more clichéd than you can imagine. This film will translate, it is not that original, no. But it has substance and mood that is valuable.

See it.

A slick, intelligent thriller, which seems to be a mixture of both the Godfather and Heat - yet manages to be tighter, and more intense than the two. Both lead roles are suitably underplayed, allowing the stress and tension of the respective moles' jobs to show itself without resorting to Pacino-like over acting. Indeed, much of the film is told in dialogue, there are no ridiculous action sequences, and the final rooftop confrontation is both incredibly intense and masterful in keeping such a sprawling tale enclosed in such a small, yet fitting finale. It has been followed by two, equally wonderful films, but the original remains both a sophisticated piece of modern cinema, and a dizzyingly exciting thriller.

• Infernal Affairs: 9/10

A brilliant cop movie out of Hong Kong, with a sublime plot and great acting by the two leads Andy Lau and Tony Leung (an indescribably great actor). An amazing concept with Lau as an undercover Triad member in the police force and Leung as an undercover cop in the Triad... which leads to many interesting situations. Great stuff, and the DVD even has the alternative ending (which isn't nearly as good as the main one).

I'd say the most amazing thing about INfernal Affairs is that it shows that Hollywood's greatest accomplishment is not its ability to make truly terrible movies. No, Hollywood's greatest accomplishment is its ability to take a great movie and remake it into something infernally inferior. If you haven't seen either of these films, ignore The Departed and watch Infernal Affairs. After you watch Infernal Affairs, continue to ignore The Departed. In IA, the story is tighter, there are no wasted or superfluous scenes seemingly thrown in to give the top-billed some extra face-time, the romantic appendage is simpler and actually logical, unlike the hack-job in The Departed, and the ending is better. What more could you ask for? Oh yeah, there is more ... no Nicholson over-acting, no bad Boston accents and the cops don't all act stupid all the time.

"Infernal Affairs" is the Hong-Kong based crime movie that eventually led to the birth of the "The Departed" by Martin Scorsese. The film certainly has its own merits, but also its own faults. The story is centered on two moles: one of them infiltrates the mob and the other infiltrates the police force. When both parties become aware of the infiltration, a game of cat and mouse (or should I say mouse and mouse?) ensues, as each try to uncover the other one first.

For the most part, "Infernal Affairs" relies on its strong and intriguing premise to keep the viewer hooked and succeeds. It's a competent crime film, but if you begin to scrape the surface it quickly gives in. While the two main characters are reasonably interesting, their love interests are extremely underdeveloped and lack any of the emotional depth of the characters in "The Departed". The direction is also far from brilliant. "Infernal Affairs" tries too hard to be stylish, cramming obnoxious fade-outs and pointless slow motion shots in many scenes. Still, I could have let all of this go, were it not for the most annoying fault of the entire film: an atrocious soundtrack, which isn't only incredibly cheesy, but intrusive as well. I admit I had seen Scorsese's remake prior to "Infernal Affairs" and, no matter how hard I tried not to compare the two, the superior work is obvious.

If you are looking for a decent crime film, "Infernal Affairs" will meet most of your expectations. However, if you are hoping for something more, I strongly recommend Scorsese's version.

Beautifully shot, cleverly constructed, humorous, dramatic, and humane. I never felt bored or rushed for a moment. Expect to have to concentrate on who is who, especially at the beginning, who is or might be on to whom and how, and what they might decide to do about it. Others have said that the two leads are excellent and I'm sure they're right, but I especially appreciated Eric Tsang as Sam.

It's elegant without being heartless. I felt the main characters' longing for truth in their lives, and the various different virtues, flaws, loyalties and motivations of many others too.

I was interested to see that virtually all the violence happens off-camera. It reminded me of 'authentic' productions of Classical Greek plays. Their plots often included murders, but violence was not permitted to be shown directly. A character would describe what had happened, and then a tableau of corpses would be revealed, on a wheeled wheels if I remember correctly from one production. Almost the same device is used in this film, and it's very effective when it's done well, as here.

The friend I went with would have liked to the female characters given bigger roles. Personally (I'm a woman myself, if it makes a difference) I don't care about that. I did notice, though, the way the female characters were used as symbols to represent the good and truthful side of life. It struck me, in connection with this, that sex and violence were being treated as opposites, whereas in many US films they are treated almost as two aspects of the same thing and as depending on one another, hardly existing independently. How many plots are driven by the kidnapping or other ill-treatment of the hero's wife/girlfriend/squeeze, so that the violence against her - whether she resists it violently or not - is used to justify and supposedly motivate the whole towering nonsense by virtue of her sexual relationship with the hero? It often seems that the villian's real offence is thought to be less assault on a person, than theft of property. And I wonder if, when the US remake appears, this tedious plot device will have crept in? But I digress - it was just an idea that occurred to me on the way home, and it tells you little about "Infernal Affairs", except that it may be one reason why I found this film refreshing.

An absorbing experience, and has made me more inclined to seek out Asian films in general, as well as films by the same director.

Infernal affairs is definitely one of the better triad films to emerge from Hong Kong.

Staring Andy Lau, and the incomparable Leung Chiu Wai, the aptly named Infernal Affairs concerns two men. Lau is a triad plant in the Hong Kong Police force working for your typical big-boss-bad-guy (Eric Tsang). Meanwhile the cops have a plant of their own (Tony Leung) – a man who's been working under cover for so long, he's beginning to forget who he is.

Not a naturally stable position, and it is not long before all hell breaks loose as both sides tear themselves apart trying to find the moles.

This is, of course, a hugely interesting set up – not least because Tony Leung is not the only one with identity problems. Lau, aided by that most powerful force for moral rectitude known to man - The Wife (Singer and actor, Sammi Cheng) - is also suffering from late onset conscience. What possibly can happen next?

Infernal Affairs is the classic example of a film that is a victim of its medium.

It is a gangster movie. Moreover, it is a Hong Kong gangster movie. It needs to deliver on action. It needs plot twists. It needs fortune cookie rambling on the nature of good and evil. And boy, does it deliver on these things. If you want a gripping, tortuously plotted gangster movie with some amazing, stylised, set piece action you're going to score this as an 8 or 9 at least.

As a genuine exploration of character (which it promises to deliver all through the film) it will score less well. I really wanted some depth and some signs of development in the characters. Unfortunately, all the character development seemed to happen when the guns were being re-loaded.

On the box to the UK version of this film there is a quote which says that Infernal Affairs "Out Heat's Michael Mann".

Not quite.

It is possible that Infernal Affairs is better plotted than Heat, which rambles a bit, has a soggy mid-section, and at least two characters too many. But the ground that Heat loses in plotting it more than makes up for in characterisation.

Both films play on the idea that the cops and robbers are just two more warring gangs. Both suggest depths to the lead characters. But what Infernal Affairs alludes to, Heat explores. This means we care for the characters so much more.

Infernal Affairs is a good film. It's a hugely entertaining film – and definitely worth a look before looking at The Departed. 7/10.

This first installment in a trilogy is very stylish and well written. The film is presented and photographed in a very unique way. Unfortunately, though, I didn't find it captivating enough and slow moving.

There's a lot of trivial moments taking up running time. Romance feels forced in the film, and quite frankly, there's no room for it in this film. It's a very clever script, but also very confusing if you don't follow closely. At times it felt over-dramatized like a TV soapie.

It is a very good film - just not my type of film. As with most crime thrillers, I doubt I'll remember this for a long time.