Infernal Affairs

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...

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

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.

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.

I'm late in discovering the Hong Kong crime thriller genre so I can only compare "Infernal Affairs (Mou gaan dou))" to its Hollywood compatriots. It grippingly is the equal of such intense examinations of the anguish of undercover cops as "Donnie Brascoe" or dirty cops such as "Narc" or "Training Day."

Key is the dynamic opposite pairing of two leonine, charismatic actors, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, the self-sacrificing heart throb from "Hero (Ying xiong)" and the languid lover from "In the Mood for Love (Fa yeung nin wa)" here as an antsy, anguished too long undercover cop versus Andy Lau as his crisply efficient, ambitious counterpart.

The plot, propelled as well by the music, unpredictably twists and takes hairpin turns from the beginning so that even with helpful flashbacks it's a thrilling roller coaster ride to try to follow the constantly changing loyalties, manipulations, deals and revelations, not unlike the TV series "The Wire."

Regardless, you get that the real battle is for the characters' souls as much as their lives and you hold your breath to the last surprising minute. The initial motivations for how the men came to be at this crossroads will doubtless be explored in the prequel and sequel that haven't been released in the U.S. yet.

The women are just the girlfriends, but they do have separate lives, jobs and choices that impact the men in their lives.

With noted cinematographer Christopher Doyle is listed as a "visual consultant" in the credits, the great bulk of the film takes place at night, like a comparable chase film "Collateral," so it was unfortunate that the print I saw was not pristine.

It was also annoying that the subtitles were white on white illegible and that ideograms that are shown in the scene are not translated, even when the camera rests on them for a length of time that makes one assume something significant is written there.