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Movies / On DVD / Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs

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Infernal Affairs (2003)

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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.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for violence

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Sep 24, 2004 Limited

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

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Release:

Dec 7, 2004

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Infernal Affairs
  • An award-winning crime thriller in the intense tradition of HEAT and RESERVOIR DOGS ... critics everywhere have hailed INFERNAL AFFAIRS for its gritty action and international superstars. Chan Wing Yan (Tony Leung -- HERO) is a hard-nosed veteran cop sent undercover to infiltrate the notorious Triad crime ring. An expert at bringing down violent syndicates, Chan thinks it's going to be a routine mission. What he's not prepared for is the discovery that the Triad's boss (Eric Tsang -- THE ACCIDENTAL SPY) has planted a mole (Andy Lau -- THE LEGEND OF DRUNKEN MASTER) in the police department ... and now Chan is being hunted down. In this battle of wills, only one cop can win!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
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    Reviews for Infernal Affairs

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: CHUD | comment Comment
    02/27/09
    Devin Faraci
    CHUD
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
    10/18/08
    Urban Cinefile Critics
    Urban Cinefile

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
    12/27/07
    Joe Lozito
    Big Picture Big Sound
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
    06/19/07
    Channel 4 Film
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Slate | comment Comment
    10/07/06
    Dana Stevens
    Slate

    Seductively shot and beautifully acted, this is like a summation film, bringing together all the themes, motifs, mood, and style of the gritty policier Hong Kong thriller, one that will make John Woo and Michael Mann proud.

    Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
    08/18/06
    Emanuel Levy
    EmanuelLevy.Com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Geoff Andrew
    Time Out

    This intense, explosive Hong Kong thriller ushers in a new era of hyper-intelligent action.

    Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
    05/26/06
    Jeffrey M. Anderson
    Combustible Celluloid

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    04/01/06
    Empire Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    well-written, well-directed and well-acted genre film

    Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    11/26/05
    Dragan Antulov
    Draxblog Movie Reviews

    Ultimately quiet tepid.

    Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment 3 Comments
    05/04/05
    Nick Schager
    Lessons of Darkness

    Um inteligente drama policial que se preocupa mais com o desenvolvimento de seus personagens (e com as relações entre estes) do que com tiroteios e reviravoltas.

    comment Comment
    05/03/05
    Pablo Villaca
    Cinema em Cena

    Far too light on action to be very exciting, and far too generic and familiar to be genuinely intriguing, Infernal Affairsis ultimately a forgettable affair.

    Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment 2 Comments
    03/03/05
    Brian Mckay
    eFilmCritic.com

    Everything you'd want in a police action thriller: powerhouse performances, Grade A production values, a good script and suspenseful direction.

    Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
    02/04/05
    G. Allen Johnson
    San Francisco Chronicle
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Potboiler Hong Kong cop drama with a fairly interesting plot about moral dilemmas and mixed allegiances.

    Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
    02/04/05
    Robert Roten
    Laramie Movie Scope

    Solid character-centric piece that's more interested in psychology than in gritty action sequences.

    Full Review Source: Window to the Movies | comment Comment
    02/03/05
    Jeffrey Chen
    Window to the Movies

    ...has an intensity usually reserved for Greek tragedy.

    Full Review Source: Sun Publications (Chicago, IL) | comment Comment
    01/05/05
    Josh Larsen
    Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)

    I appreciated the filmmakers' conviction to keep the story as gutsy as possible. The film doesn't flinch.

    Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
    12/31/04
    John J. Puccio
    DVDTown.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
    12/27/04
    JoBlo
    JoBlo's Movie Emporium

    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.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
    12/24/04
    Allison Benedikt
    Chicago Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
     
     
    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    Latest News for Infernal Affairs

    August 05, 2008: Sam Jackson's Top 10 New Classic Asian Films Opens in new window
    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...

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