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Cast:
Andy
Lau
Tony
Leung Chiu Wai
Anthony
Wong
Eric
Tsang
Sammi
Cheng
Kelly
Chan
Edison
Chen
Shawn
Yue
Action:
Dion
Lam
Producer:
Andrew
Lau
Director:
Andrew
Lau
Alan
Mak
Score:
 
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INFERNAL
AFFAIRS
AKA:
N/A
Year:
2002 Reviewer: Phil
Mills
Psychological
thrillers are a fine line in the cinematic world and can often
fall foul of predictable scenarios or weak leading
performances but Hong Kong is one of the few movie industries
that churns out so many successful ones. 'Infernal
Affairs' is just another example of this enviable pattern and
came at just the right time considering the terrible slump in
Hong Kong box office takings.
Ming
(Lau) and Yan (Leung) joined the police force at a young age
and both were full of ambition, graduating top of all their
classes in the hope that they would progress through the
ranks. However, their prospective paths couldn't have
been further apart as while Ming rose up the ranks, Yan was
given duties as an undercover in the Triads and experienced a
very different and challenging lifestyle. Years pass and
both men had seen little or nothing of each other for some
time until Ming is suddenly assigned to assist the
investigation into the Triad group that Yan is working for.
A simple enough case you may think, especially when the police
have an inside man on the job but unbeknownst to his
superiors, Ming is in fact a triad spy placed in the police
force. Obviously this complicates matters somewhat and
introduces an intriguing game of cat and mouse.
With
many of it's stars departing for Hollywood, the Hong Kong film
industry seems to have spent a good few years feeling sorry
for itself (minus a couple of exceptions) but with 'Infernal
Affairs' it has finally returned with a bang. Helmed by
Alan Mak and, bizarrely enough, Andrew Lau of 'A
Man Called Hero' and 'Storm
Riders' fame, this truly is a fond return to form thanks
to one essential ingredient; an original plot! Far too
many films in recent times have wasted money retreading old
ground with disastrous results but 'Infernal Affairs' really
gives the traditional storylines a working over and
complicates simple scenarios to the degree where the outcome
become unpredictable. This, accompanied by some stylish
direction and beautifully shot locations, is the heart of the
film's success and what makes it such an exciting and
refreshing watch.
Another
key factor that contributes to 'Infernal Affairs' is the
casting of two of Hong Kong's most favourable stars and,
coincidentally enough, biggest heartthrobs. Firstly,
there is Andy Lau who has come under quite a bit of criticism
from me in recent outings, mainly because he has chosen such
poor projects that don't make use of his acting ability.
Thankfully, this is not the case here and he puts in one of
his most enigmatic performances that shows he is capable of
pulling off any role if he is given decent material to work
with. Alongside him is Tony Leung, one of Hong Kong's
most underrated actors who finally seems to be getting the
recognition he deserves thanks to appearances in recent high
profile films such as this and 'Hero'.
Leung's portrayal of his character is equally as exciting as
Lau and the two also forge an excellent on-screen chemistry
where they can conceivably be friends one moment and enemies
the next. Throw into this mix the heavyweight backing of
stars like Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang and you can be sure
that you will not be disappointed by the star quality on
display here.
Watching
'Infernal Affairs' it's easy to see why it became the highest
grossing Hong Kong film in the last couple of years as it
really is a return to form for all parties involved. The
cast and crew all produce some of their finest work to date
and are backed by an excellent script that crafts out one of
the most interesting stories to emerge from any film market in
some time. Prequels, sequels and an American remake
(please no!) are already on the cards for this franchise but
whether or not these will prove as enjoyable remains to be
seen but for the moment we can just be thankful that there is
light at the end of the tunnel for the Hong Kong movie
industry.
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