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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
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for Infernal Affairs

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    41 - 60 (sorted by date)
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    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.

    Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
    09/25/04
    E! Online

    Even when the film is in danger of getting bogged down in its own complications, the hard-boiled poetry of its images is arresting.

    Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
    09/24/04
    Maitland McDonagh
    Maitland McDonagh
    TV Guide's Movie Guide

    The movie's engine is the relationships and the characters' inner lives, all of it boiling with emotional intensity.

    Full Review Source: New York Daily News | comment Comment
    09/24/04
    Jami Bernard
    Jami Bernard
    New York Daily News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A consistently engrossing thriller.

    Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
    09/24/04
    Timothy Knight
    Timothy Knight
    Reel.com

    It overflows with psychological intrigue, something often missing from such offerings.

    Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
    09/24/04
    V.A. Musetto
    V.A. Musetto
    New York Post

    Ranks at the top of the list of the best action dramas to emerge from Hong Kong since the glory days of John Woo.

    Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
    09/23/04
    Edward Havens
    Edward Havens
    FilmJerk.com

    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.

    Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
    09/23/04
    Jan Stuart
    Jan Stuart
    Newsday
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    What gives Infernal Affairs its heat is the friction of who-am-I psychology and cool Hong Kong-style action.

    Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
    09/23/04
    Lisa Schwarzbaum
    Lisa Schwarzbaum
    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    This is a real grabber.

    Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
    09/21/04
    Glenn Kenny
    Glenn Kenny
    Premiere Magazine

    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.

    Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
    09/14/04
    Anthony Lane
    Anthony Lane
    New Yorker

    Spins in place with aplomb, generating exponentially more vertiginous doublings with each sweaty-palmed set piece.

    Full Review Source: Village Voice | comment Comment
    09/14/04
    Dennis Lim
    Dennis Lim
    Village Voice
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    It’s a cop movie that’s constantly trying to convince you it’s not just a cop movie

    Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
    09/13/04
    Chris Barsanti
    Chris Barsanti
    Filmcritic.com

    Cop thrillers don't come much more polished, or enjoyable, than Infernal Affairs.

    Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
    09/11/04
    Daniel Eagan
    Daniel Eagan
    Film Journal International

    As cops and robbers dramas go, this is an original.

    Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
    09/11/04
    Harvey S. Karten
    Harvey S. Karten
    Compuserve

    Superbly honed at both script and performance levels, with character taking precedence over action.

    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    09/10/04
    Derek Elley
    Derek Elley
    Variety

    This is a movie that gets its hooks into you early, and no chance is it letting go.

    Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
    09/03/04
    Peter Travers
    Peter Travers
    Rolling Stone
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Recalls classics like Serpico and The French Connection, but features a contemporary sophistication and of-the-moment vivacity that sets it apart.

    Full Review Source: Mixed Reviews | comment Comment
    09/03/04
    Gabriel Shanks
    Gabriel Shanks
    Mixed Reviews

    Gritty and noirish

    Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
    08/26/04
    Jon Popick
    Jon Popick
    Planet Sick-Boy

    Infernal Affairs could be the syllabus for “The Effects of Michael Mann, Tony Scott, and the American Police Procedural on Asian Cinema.”

    Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
    06/10/04
    Ed Gonzalez
    Ed Gonzalez
    Slant Magazine
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
    04/09/04
    Guardian [UK]
     
     
    41 - 60 (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...

    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"?
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    October 09, 2006: Box Office Wrapup: Leo and Matt Face Off at #1 with The Departed
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