Infernal Affairs Reviews

(April 7, 2013)
Mou gaan dou (Infernal Affairs) (Dec 2002)
Directed By: Wai-keung Lau , Alan Mak
Written By: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
Andy Lau- Ming
Tony Leung- Yan
Eric Tsang- Sam
Anthony Wong-SP Wong
Setting: HK

Plot:
The story was centered about two cops. One, Ming working for a triad boss, entered police and got his career soaring, the other, Yan an expelled officer, worked for the superintendent as an undercover. They both worked as an accomplice with their real identities hidden, telling off their bosses when a trade is occurring. Ming, got tired of his unknown identity and threw off his boss, remembering what he said that they always have a choice. Yan, avenging the only person who knows his identity, tried to reveal Ming’s betrayal to everyone, got shot by another Sam’s undercover.


Direction:
The first quarter bothered and bored me…if I am going to watch this when I was younger I will surely be cutting it off. It's too complicated. Full of edits, transition from black and white, very shaky, the freezing action also kind of put me off. Though the two lead younger selves were sure as hell eye candies. (Esp Ming)
I think I became habituated with the American movies I’ve watched the past few days. They didn't let me think at all.
The speaker thing was also kind of a put off. I can’t think of any reason why it has to be revealed that way. They don’t have to meet that way. What’s the point of these people having the same taste for music?
Another thing, the romance…the family, the daughter. It is not developed that well. How can you put something that isn’t that developed. It’s very bitin. It’s like a commercial. It didn’t make sense. The crying at the end..why can we sympathize with you.
Less actions. I think it’s kind of necessary to show why Yan was chosen of all the people…or I am just used to badass characters again. Don’t you think? I am being formulaic.
On the other hand, Sp Wong’s death made me cry..as well as the whole crew crying because of his unexpected death.
The continuity of unpredictability was of no comparison. It always left me hanging and proving me wrong. It was really great in that aspect.
The character development was so poor. Except maybe for the relationship of SP wong and Yan but still it’s lacking. The relationship of Ming and his gf was appropriate in showing his soft side…but it was a little bit contrived in Ming’s side.I don’t know. This has sequels. I might see that there.

Writing
The script was well-written. It was on a right mix of intricacy and simplicity that wouldn’t bore and confuse you. Scripts nowadays are too common, I can finish their sentences…I like the Buddhism references as well as the last quote in the end..
It wasn’t cheesy, it wasn’t too emotional, and it wasn’t all trying to be badass. I really think it’s awesome. What more if I can understand Chinese? It was simple yet intelligent.



Editing
Editing was appropriate. I guess? But it was obviously artificial, too gimmicky and flashy . But I think it’s appropriate.

Thoughts
It was amazing. I really liked how it kept me guessing until the end of the movie. The last movie that did that to me was Old Boy. And I haven’t experienced that since. And It wasn’t as cliché as Old Boy. I really liked it. However, I will still wait for a couple weeks to see if it’s still as good to be my favourite.

Theme:
Goodness. In what state should you be to be considered good? Do you really need to be in company of good to be good or to be in company of bad to be considered bad? Or must you walk away and be brave enough to take side to where you really belong.

A great script and an energetic direction for a movie that catched me and kept me holding my breath all the way to the end. A well-constructed story with dialogues that mesure words and silences printing them in an amazing cinematography. Especially if you watch it after "The Departed", you'll understand that a movie can be strong and powerful without swearing every 15 seconds. I mean, "The Departed" is a good movie, Martin Scorsese is a master in telling crime stories, but comparing to "Infernal Affairs", it may look a little redundant of explicit sentences and with an unnecessary love triangle. Because in this film the suspense is all in the story itself and in the eyes of the lead actors, Tony Leung and Andy Lau: cool but nervous, trying to smile while they're conscious to be trapped in their own lives. And this work so accurate and unexcessive makes me think that "Infernal Affairs" has something special. It's like a machine that works perfectly with its gears and makes no more noise than is required.

I was fortunate enough to see this movie before 'The Departed'. I remember, back in those days, I kept hearing about this flick so I was really eager to check it out. I first missed it when it was on TV but then managed to borrow the DVD from my sister and I was seriously not disappointed. In my opinion, even if Scorsese's version was pretty good, I easily prefer this movie anyway. Indeed, the directing was really impressive, there was some great acting provided by the whole cast, especially by Tony Leung (my favorite Asian actor) and Andy Lau and, above all, I thought the story was completely fascinating. I preferred this version because the directing was less flashy and they didn't try to explain verbally every single actions. Here, the behavior and body language of the protagonists were enough and expanded the fascinating aspect provided by this mesmerizing flick. Personally, except for providing a new set, the US version didn't add much to the whole thing and even though it is indeed a pretty good remake, it still feel like a rather unnecessary US remake just like 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' directed by David Fincher. To conclude, this original version is basically one of the best Asian movies I have ever seen and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you enjoyed the American remake.

MINI-REVIEW:

This is an underrated film that deserved to be a massive successful film like the remake The Departed turned out to be. I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Departed because I saw that before this one but this original version is awesome! I wouldn’t call it one of the best foreign language films I’ve watched but it is still one that shouldn’t not to be missed.

''I can't finish the novel, I don't know whether he's good or bad.''

A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.

Andy Lau: Inspector Lau Kin Ming

Tony Leung Chiu Wai: Chan Wing Yan

Mou gaan dou translating into English as Infernal Affairs(2002) propels forth to audiences the story of two top police cadets who take to or are driven to following parallel lives.
The Academy Award-winning The Departed(2006) by Martin Scorsese was also inspired by this movie which also shows how important and great Infernal Affairs is as a film and form of storytelling.
Inspector Lau (House of Flying Daggers) is recruited by a Mob leader Sam (Eric Tsang) to infiltrate the police force and act as a mole. Meanwhile, Yan (Lust, Caution) appears to have been kicked out of police academy; But the truth is he has been secretly been recruited to act as a mole in Sam's gang. Suddenly both come under pressure as both parties suspects a mole in their midst, but can the pair keep themselves under cover?



Tony Leung; ragged and feral is a stark contrast to his adversary, played capably by Andy Lau, whom traverses dangerous ground as a Triad packaged into 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.
It's clear from watching internal Affairs that Martin Scorsese's remake The Departed is a tribute as well as re-imagining of the story written by Alan Mak & Felix Chong. I admit this film seems to emphasize depth, originality rather than just relying solely on great performances and gangster themes.
Directors Wai-keung Lau, Siu Fai Mak were upset with Scorsese for imitating their vision and film effort yet I personally feel Scorsese was honouring and giving Infernal Affairs a nod of respect, not to mention appreciation by creating The Departed.

''Remember this, if you see someone doing something but at the same time watching you... then he is a cop.''

The sum of all parts combining the efforts of the main stars, the talented directors and writers and you see the result; An underlying plot and script that oozes perfection and originality hand in hand. There is a dramatic resonance and adrenaline pumping intensity that keeps the thrill and chase compelling to view everytime. Action scenes weren't innovative or over done, but neatly edited for continuity and entertaining thrills.
Numerous helpings of subtext, emotion, roller coaster rides and beautiful scenery all instantly come to mind.
Infernal Affairs was the highest grossing movie in Hong Kong, which is not bad for an industry that is suffering from imports to HK. It deserves awards, on the basis that it is one of the best movies to combine entertainment with a twisted compelling story that never refrains from pulling punches upon our synapses.

''Do all undercover cops like rooftops?''

The most important aspect of this film; The notion that the two leads are reflections of each other, that every man has a capacity for versions of good and evil, that scenarios of justice and morality, have no respective answers is not a new concept. 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 Scorsese version.

Although The Departed borrows so much from this, it at times does not achieve the level of cohesion or the richness of connection between its characters. That's not to say that Scorsese's film is a better or worse, it's an entertaining thrilling film in it's own right 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 Scorsese's signature gangster lean, or for Alec Baldwin's scene stealing banter. After reading so many things to do with this, 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.

Infernal Affairs is hands down a phenomenal classic due to its excellent story, terrific supporting cast and a cohesion of compelling twists and turns.
All these make it both an enjoyable espionage film experience and a masterpiece in cinematic excellence for years to follow and indeed come.

''What thousands must die, so that Caesar may become the great.''

"Remember this, if you see someone doing something but at the same time watching you... then he is a cop."

There are a very limited number of movie enthusiasts who haven't heard of Martin Scorsese's The Departed; a film that became one of the most critically acclaimed films of its decade. When I first saw Scorsese's masterpiece I was unaware that it was actually a remake of a small-time 2002 Asian movie called Infernal Affairs.

This original, refreshing piece of Asian cinema is gripping, exciting and riveting. This is not your standard slice of cinema you'd expect to be exported from an Asian country; instead of a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon-style of martial arts fluff we are presented with a smart thriller that is exceptionally crafted.

The film juxtaposes the lives of two policemen. The first (Leung) is kicked out of the academy before graduation and is hired to be a mole planted in the Triad gangs. The second is a Triad gang member (Lau) who is enlisted in the police force as a mole. Each side soon realises that they are being spied on by their enemy. The moles are soon assigned to figure out who the other mole is.

The plot is very imaginative and original; a breath of fresh air for an Asian production. One of the things that truly stuck out in my mind was the exceptional filmmaking. Each shot is enticing and crafted with a great deal of dexterity. The cinematography is just mind-blowing. The film relies on drama and believable situations rather than action (of which there is still quite a lot of). In order to keep the attention of the audience it was pivotal to make sure these dialogue scenes were staged and filmed with class. The filmmakers achieved this desired effect in my mind.

The film was always so captivating and interesting; an intelligent script that is driven with the powerhouse performances. This isn't your standard gangster movie where bad guys don long leather coats while carrying an intimidating arsenal. However, steering away from this cliché isn't exactly a great thing. For one, it took me half the film to determine which character was on which side. It seems that every Asian film has this problem; poorly distinguished characters caused by lack of character development. Within the first 5 minutes the plot has already unfolded. I would have expected something a lot deeper and more intricate. This was the only downfall on an otherwise exceptionally intelligent screenplay.

More than anything else, I found the riveting musical score to be the best thing to find here. It kept the film moving at a powerful pace. During the action the music is abundant with intensity. The performances are quite gripping in my opinion.

Andy Lau seems concentrated and laid back. Tony Leung Chiu Wai (billed as Tony Leung) is the real stand out here though. His performance contains so much depth and realism.

All in all, Infernal Affairs is one of the best Asian films I've ever had the fortune of seeing. Entertaining and satisfying; this thriller is hard to find boring. The film is only flawed in two areas: firstly, the weak ending that appeared to be quite rushed. Secondly, too many difficult characters that are hard to relate to due to lack of character development. Known in its country of origin as Mou gaan dou. Remade by Martin Scorsese in 2006 as The Departed.