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IMDbPro

The Insider

Original title: Sin yan
  • 2010
  • R
  • 1h 53m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
2.2K
YOUR RATING
Nick Cheung and Lun-Mei Gwei in The Insider (2010)
THE STOOL PIGEON examines the fine line between cops and their undercover informants.  Police Detective Don Lee (Nick Leung) makes a bad call, causing a close informant to be injured. A year later, he must locate a new man to go undercover inside a jewel-theft ring. Ghost, Jr. (Nicholas Tse) doesnÂ’t want to do it, but Lee can offer deals and apply pressure that makes it hard to say no. Lee makes decisions based on the progress of his case, but not always at the benefit of his informant. Ghost must play a role, but canÂ’t decline the chance to do whatÂ’s right. Best actor Nick Cheung, Nicholas Tse and Director Dante Lam renew the successful collaboration that brought audiences the multiple award-winner The Beast Stalker.
Play trailer1:47
1 Video
28 Photos
ActionCrimeThriller

Policeman Don Lee often works with informants but numerous too-close calls and failed missions cause him to see the world as one betrayal after another - then he meets Guy, and is given a ne... Read allPoliceman Don Lee often works with informants but numerous too-close calls and failed missions cause him to see the world as one betrayal after another - then he meets Guy, and is given a new chance to change his views.Policeman Don Lee often works with informants but numerous too-close calls and failed missions cause him to see the world as one betrayal after another - then he meets Guy, and is given a new chance to change his views.

  • Director
    • Dante Lam
  • Writers
    • Man-Lung Ho
    • Dante Lam
    • Wai-Lun Ng
  • Stars
    • Nick Cheung
    • Nicholas Tse
    • Lun-Mei Gwei
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.7/10
    2.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Dante Lam
    • Writers
      • Man-Lung Ho
      • Dante Lam
      • Wai-Lun Ng
    • Stars
      • Nick Cheung
      • Nicholas Tse
      • Lun-Mei Gwei
    • 18User reviews
    • 40Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 18 nominations total

    Videos1

    The Stool Pigeon
    Trailer 1:47
    The Stool Pigeon

    Photos27

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    Top cast42

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    Nick Cheung
    Nick Cheung
    • Don Lee
    Nicholas Tse
    Nicholas Tse
    • Ghost Jr.
    Lun-Mei Gwei
    Lun-Mei Gwei
    • Dee
    • (as Lun-Mei Kwei)
    Kai-Chi Liu
    Kai-Chi Liu
    • Jabber
    Pu Miao
    • Cher
    Yi Lu
    Yi Lu
    • Barbarian
    Sherman Chung
    • Ghost's sister
    Kong Lau
    Kong Lau
    • Cher's father
    Philip Keung
    Philip Keung
    • Tai Ping
    Lawrence Cheng
    Lawrence Cheng
    • Cher's brother
    Shing-Cheong Lee
    • Don's superior
    • (as Shing-Cheung Lee)
    Deep Ng
    • Fairing
    King Kong Lee
    King Kong Lee
      Jing-Hung Kwok
      Hin-Wai Au
      • Senior inspector
      Peter Chan
      • Police Ops Unit
      Eric Cheung
      • Street racer
      Lap-Fung Cheung
      • Wing's Hitman
      • Director
        • Dante Lam
      • Writers
        • Man-Lung Ho
        • Dante Lam
        • Wai-Lun Ng
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews18

      6.72.2K
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      Featured reviews

      7lasttimeisaw

      Cinema Omnivore - The Stool Pigeon (2010) 7.1/10

      "In STALKER, Nicholas Tse plays a straight-arrow police sergeant, pitched against Nicky Cheung's ruthless, one-eyed kidnapper; whereas in PIGEON, the shoe is on the other foot, Cheung is a righteous police detective and Tse is the debt-ridden, ex-con stoolie he needs to protect from a dangerous gang of armed robbers. Both actors show confidence and versatility in their dual transitions. Cheung excels in a beastly, menacing presence in STALKER that the audience has never seen before, then morphs into a bespectacled, spiffy officer of the law whose reticent appearance dissembles his inner conflict; Tse is a single-minded redemption-seeking hot-head in STALKER, sometimes he can be schmaltzy, but goes low-key and quietly affecting in PIGEON where he really catches audience off guard for a maturer performance that elicits our commiserations."

      read my full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks.
      gavin6942

      Well Go USA Keeps Bringing Us The Goods

      Policeman Don Lee (Nick Cheung) often works with informants but numerous too-close calls and failed missions cause him to see the world as one betrayal after another -- then he meets Guy, and is given a new chance to change his views.

      I have to give credit to the folks at Well Go USA. I have been reviewing the films they distribute for a while now, and they have been consistently good. "Stool Pigeon" is no exception, adding the genre of police action to the martial arts stories they have delivered us in the past. I assume not all Asian films are this good (in fact, I know they are not), so whoever does acquisitions for Well Go needs a raise.

      What is this film? A bit of mystery, a lot of action, a crime thriller. It really should appeal to a wide audience. If you like films like "French Connection" or "Snatch", I think this will be your film. While not quite a masterpiece, it really does tell a strong, interesting and emotional story. It is a film I am eager to watch a second time.

      The DVD/BD (it comes as a combo pack) has some nice features on, most notably the variety of languages and subtitles. You might prefer Cantonese with English subtitles. Perhaps you prefer English dubbing. Then again, maybe you speak Cantonese and would rather watch it without dubbing or subs... you are able to do any of these.
      6TheFilmGuy1

      An Entertaining But Slightly Forgettable Tale Of Police Informants

      First off, let me say that Nick Cheung's performance was great. He has a few scenes where he really needs to show emotion, and he shines. Sadly, I would say this film is a little forgettable. It's a tale that we have seen told similarly in movies such as "Infernal Affairs" and "City On Fire" (especially the latter, with the jewelry store robbery and the warehouse standoff) but isn't done quite as well. It has a few highlights, such as the car chase with "White Christmas" playing in the background, or the jewlery store robbery, or even the fight in the abandoned room filled with chairs and tables, but other than those memorable moments, the rest seems like filler. It also contains a few side plots that seemed a bit cliché and unnecessary. It's entertaining, sure, but in the end, it will blend in with many Hong Kong films with similar plots.
      7totalovrdose

      A Brutally Realistic Police Drama, as Authentically Detailed as it is Immersive

      'Brutally honest' would be the term I'd use to best describe this particular feature. Although the term 'brutal' is often associated with the violent content exhibited in a film, the level of blood in The Stool Pigeon never takes away from the storyline.

      Don Lee (Nick Cheung) is an officer, still suffering the ramifications of past decisions that led to his former informant, Jabber (Kai Chi Liu) been discovered by the men he was snitching on. Although Lee is attempting to atone for his mistakes, this is made increasingly more difficult by his boss (Li Sheng-cheong), who adamantly believes the ends justify the means. If ever he had a white whale, it would be Barbarian (Lu Yi), a brilliant and psychotically violent thief, who has recently returned to promulgate another job.

      Advised to insert an informant into his crew, Lee discovers Ghost Jr (Nicholas Tse), a young man on the verge of being released from prison, whose adept driving skills would make him an asset to Barbarian. Immediately turning Lee's offer down, Ghost Jr instead opts to spend time with his sister (Sherman Chung), who has been thrust into a life of prostitution to pay off their late father's debts. Though their father is largely unexplored, his actions have inevitably shaped their lives, which forces Ghost Jr to make a life changing decision.

      Under Lee's directive, he initiates contact with Tai-Ping (Philip Keung), the leader of a gang whose cronies have assisted Barbarian on previous jobs. Descending into a world where every move could potentially be his last, the impact of danger, betrayal and paranoia continuously gnawing at the viewers, Ghost Jr quickly finds solace in Barbarian's unappreciated girlfriend Dee (Gwei Lun-mei), their immediate mutual attraction based upon a history that is explored over the course of the story. But events begin to spiral out of control, and one question that later emerges is this: will Ghost Jr live to see his dream of saving his sister fulfilled?

      Although Lee advises officers who will later have informants of their own not to become emotionally attached, he, hypocritically, is unable to separate his personal feelings from the scenario. The use of scenes, detailing previous events that have recently occurred over the course of his career demonstrates that it is not only the informants who have a grueling existence, the police having an equally unpleasant role. Having made a number of decisions and mistakes that he is not proud of, Lee is able to admit his faults, making him a sympathetic and respectable character to have headlining this feature. The relationship he has with his wife Cher (Miao Pu) provides the audience with not only another source of emotional depth, but a source of hope for the future.

      Due to his screen time, though Mr Tse's portrayal of Ghost Jr is just as proficient, it is overshadowed by the focus that seems to continuously drift towards Mr. Cheung. Despite been a criminal, and persistently asking for money, Ghost Jr is a likable character, not only for his gentlemanly qualities, but his unflinching devotion to family, wanting desperately to be his sister's hero. Ms. Mei also deserved additional screen time, her portrayal of Dee effectively developing a character who, although compassionately emotional, is capable of blunt ferocity, her life choices based upon what is happening right now, rather than on what is right.

      As aforementioned, Lee's past is explored over the course of several scenes, while Ghost Jr and Dee's is often articulated verbally. It would have been beneficial for more depth to have been provided to their back-stories, though the decision to focus more on Lee may have been so audiences had the opportunity to acknowledge the sacrifices officers are forced to make, the shared pain of Ghost Jr and Dee needing no further attention, for their lives effectively represent the grueling nature of their existences.

      A moment during the film involving a car race is quite possibly the film's most unenthusiastic moment, the scene, despite been well choreographed, lacking any real entertainment. Unable to live up to the outstanding visuals audiences have been awed by in the Fast and the Furious franchise, the scene appears to be comprised of cliché crashes and sounds that fail to cement the viewer in the moment. This aside, The Stool Pigeon is not an action movie, and for the most part, it's a plot driven police drama with substantial depth provided to its characters.

      Although firearms make an appearance, more often than not, machetes and other serrated weapons are used by villainous characters as they pursue their hapless victims. The sound of flesh been sliced, alongside the screams of agony really impacts the viewer, with not only the horror articulated during these torturous moments, but the ever mounting tension.

      Unlike other films dedicated to portraying the lives of police officers, The Stool Pigeon does not rely upon exaggerated footage, instead capturing the brutal realism of the lives officers and informants alike struggle to cope with. Emotionally in-depth and thought provoking, the audience are also inclined to work as detectives to piece the storyline, that isn't always set in chronological order, together, which makes for a continuously interesting feature. By the end of the film, viewers may feel the need to question who the real antagonists are in the film, and who really are the victims.
      7samuelding85

      When the good and the bad becomes sinners.

      Stool Pigeon marks Hong Kong director Dante Lam's latest production as a unofficial sequel to the 2008 hit, Beast Stalker. Pairing up with Nicholas Tse and Nick Cheung, the two leading actors from Beast Stalker, Stool Pigeon has no doubt, become one of the few worthy Hong Kong productions of the year.

      Beast Stalker features Tse as a detective and Cheung, a half-blind hit-man, crosses path with each other and teaming up together to stop a crime. In Stool Pigeon, both Tse and Cheung swapped their roles. Tse is now an ex-convict nicknamed Ghost, who unwillingly work as a informant for Don Lee (Cheung) in order to clear debts left by his late father and to rescue his only sister out of prostitution.

      Don plants Ghost into a group of robbers, lead by wanted criminal, Barbarian (Lu Yi). Don wants Ghost to provide the information about Barbarian's plot to rob a jewelry shop, so as to make an arrest. Ghost came across Barbarian's girlfriend, Dee (Kwei Lun Mei), whom both is in love with each other after meeting each other years ago. When Don found out Ghost has been forced to join the robbery, he find all ways to pull Ghost out of the situation.

      Lam have two productions released in theaters this year: Fire of Conscience and Stool Pigeon. While critics finds Fire of Conscience seems to be a disappointment, Stool Pigeon makes it better. Both movies discuss morality, with the leading characters seems to share a similar background. Lam creates a role of male police detective losing his loved ones, with two different outcomes: Leon Lai uses violence to solve crimes in Fire of Conscience; Nick Cheung redeems his sins quietly by helping the people around him quietly in Stool Pigeon.

      While Fire of Conscience seems to lack details in certain scenes, Stool Pigeon makes it up by detailing every aspects of the characters involved specifically. Here, we are able to see why Don is trying to pull Ghost out of the robbery: his hesitance in using his former informant leads to his informant being taken on revenge, thus losing the informant's sanity.

      Lam also displays how people standing on both sides of the law can appear in different scenarios. Fire of Conscience portrays two detectives standing on both sides of the law, with Leon Lai tracking down and stopping his new partner Richie Jen from leaning on the wrong side of the law. In Stool Pigeon, audience can tell directly that Nicholas Tse and Nick Cheung portrays two characters on different sides of the law easily, with one as a gangster, another a detective. However, both ends up in a path where both do not wish to take: which is to stand on the wrong side of the law, and using unethical methods to save themselves. Ultimately, both Tse and Cheung's role fits in the tag line of Stool Pigeon: Good and bad are both sinners.

      Taiwanese actress Kwei Lun Mei sheds her image of the girl next door with her role of Dee, who is a woman with a past. Kwei does not have much appearance in Stool Pigeon, but her role makes it important as anybody else, especially her role is more than just explaining about the relationships between Ghost and Barbarian. Both Tse and Cheung has appeared in taking a more matured role with more refined skills to portray them. Tse continues with his bad boy image, but much older and tougher than the similar roles he taken years ago. Cheung appears more refined throughout his acting careers, which he did not disappoints the audience.

      Overall, Stool Pigeon is not your usual crime thriller that does not require thinking. A through analysis on the plot and characters are required to understand Stool Pigeon, which definitely helps in one understanding the movie.

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      Storyline

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      Details

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      • Release date
        • August 26, 2010 (Hong Kong)
      • Country of origin
        • Hong Kong
      • Official site
        • Official site (Japan)
      • Language
        • Cantonese
      • Also known as
        • The Stool Pigeon
      • Filming locations
        • Hong Kong, China
      • Production companies
        • Emperor Classic Films
        • Huayi Brothers Media
        • Sil-Metropole Organisation
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Box office

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      • Budget
        • $4,000,000 (estimated)
      • Gross worldwide
        • $9,783,637
      See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

      Tech specs

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      • Runtime
        1 hour 53 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Dolby Digital
      • Aspect ratio
        • 2.35 : 1

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