It's all made artful by tense direction, gleaming cinematography and a complex performance by the never-disappointing Leung, who takes a stock character and fills him with brooding life.
Infernal Affairs (2003)
Tomatometer
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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.
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
Reviews for Infernal Affairs
Even when the film is in danger of getting bogged down in its own complications, the hard-boiled poetry of its images is arresting.
The movie's engine is the relationships and the characters' inner lives, all of it boiling with emotional intensity.
It overflows with psychological intrigue, something often missing from such offerings.
Ranks at the top of the list of the best action dramas to emerge from Hong Kong since the glory days of John Woo.
It's hard to resist the charismatic teaming of Tony Leung and Andy Lau as a cop and a criminal wearing like hats for cross purposes.
What gives Infernal Affairs its heat is the friction of who-am-I psychology and cool Hong Kong-style action.
I was certainly happy to be trapped in the film's conceit, and the directors, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, manage to convince us that we have witnessed an action movie, although in fact the quantity of violence is so minimal.
Spins in place with aplomb, generating exponentially more vertiginous doublings with each sweaty-palmed set piece.
It’s a cop movie that’s constantly trying to convince you it’s not just a cop movie
Cop thrillers don't come much more polished, or enjoyable, than Infernal Affairs.
Superbly honed at both script and performance levels, with character taking precedence over action.
This is a movie that gets its hooks into you early, and no chance is it letting go.
Recalls classics like Serpico and The French Connection, but features a contemporary sophistication and of-the-moment vivacity that sets it apart.
Infernal Affairs could be the syllabus for “The Effects of Michael Mann, Tony Scott, and the American Police Procedural on Asian Cinema.”
Latest News for Infernal Affairs
August 05, 2008:
Sam Jackson's Top 10 New Classic Asian Films ![]()
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...
February 08, 2007:
Mark Wahlberg Dishes Some Dirt on "Departed 2" and Maybe "3"!
Anyone who's seen all three of the "Infernal Affairs" flicks had to know this was coming: Word is that we'll probably be getting a sequel to "The Departed,"... More...
January 22, 2007:
Pre- (and Re-) "Departed"?
Martin Scorsese's "The Departed" is nearing the end of its successful box-office run, and already rumors have started that not one, but two films may be appended to... More...
October 09, 2006:
Box Office Wrapup: Leo and Matt Face Off at #1 with The Departed
Martin Scorsese scored the best opening of his career, and his first number one film in fifteen years, with the star-studded gangster thriller "The Departed," which... More...
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