Hi Harry here and I've heard nothing but great things about INFERNAL AFFAIRS. Word has it this movie is just... the bee's knees. From the sound of this review, I'd have to say... I need to see this now!
While Asian AICN mentioned about the blockbuster Hong Kong movie INFERNAL AFFAIRS some time ago, citing that it earned more than 60 million Hong Kong dollars in the local box office, nobody followed that up and talked about the movie. I saw this movie last week and I felt obligated to recommend this film to you and your readers! As we all know, many recent Hong Kong films are like crap (with the exception of Johnnie To's THE MISSION but almost two or three years ago). But this INFERNAL AFFAIRS is like bringing us a rejuvenated hope for Hong Kong films. Watching this exciting and wonderful Hong Kong flick with a strong cast, I felt my heart filled with delirium and trembling with excitement. Very well directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, this is the Hong Kong film we have been salivating for! Oh man, I have been waiting for this kind of decent film for a damn long time!
First of all, you got to love the brilliant idea of this film. We have seen thousands of movies about undercover cops. INFERNAL AFFAIRS is not an ordinary undercover cop film but ALSO THE OTHER WAY AROUND: This time, it's the gangster boss who also sends a bunch of teenagers to the cadent school and infiltrate back into the police force! Perhaps my movie experience is not long enough, but have you heard of this idea before? I was immediately excited by this setup of the story! INFERNAL AFFAIRS, then, is about two heroes: One is an undercover cop played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai (who often stars in Wong Kar-wai's films, such as IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, which got him the Best Actor Award at Cannes) and another one is an "undercover gangster" played by Andy Lau Tak-wah (a Hong Kong superstar who plays the Chinese killer in Johnny To's FULL TIME KILLER, a movie Harry put it as the tenth best film last year? HARRY NOTE: Actually it was in my list of best films of 2001). Although they don't know each other, their lives are somewhat similar and they both suffer an identity crisis after being in their misplaced surrounding for 10 years.
Ming (Andy Lau) is a mole in the police force set up by a powerful gangster boss, Sam (Eric Tsang), when he is just a young adult. In the cadent school, another bright kid, Yan (Tony Leung), is discovered by Inspector Wong (played fantastically by Anthony Wong, another familiar face you know if you are a Hong Kong film fan) and thinks he has the greatest potential to become an undercover cop. After 10 years, Ming, as an undercover gangster, works his way up to become a sergeant working beside Inspector Wong and on the other hand, Yan, as an undercover cop, also works his way up in the Triad and becomes the most trusted man by Sam. Simply put, while Superintendent Wong and Sam are enemies to each other, they respectively don't know the man beside them is actually betraying them! But this secret is finally out in a drug bust and now both sides find out that they have traitors inside. Now, Ming and Yan have to find who the mole is on each side and reveal each other's true identity as quickly as possible to save their own lives.
This drug bust scene, without a fire of gunshot, is one of the breath-taking action sequences I haven't seen for a long time. The Triad knows they are watched by the police and the police also knows their target is prepared. While the Triad and the police are calculating each other's next move, Ming and Yan, as the informants, have to use their wit and improvisation to communicate with their own boss although they're on the enemy side. The editing is superb and the background music just makes your heart beat with fear.
As a matter of fact, there're not many gun fights in the entire film. What I love about INFERNAL AFFAIRS is its unexpected twist (there is really an unexpected development in the middle of the film that totally shocked me), professional and effective cinematography (advised by world acclaimed Christopher Doyle) and lightning-quick editing, and surprisingly, its profound messages and lingering thoughts that bring to the audience. Despite a few flaws in the script, INFERNAL AFFAIRS is a thriller that just does not give you a second to take your eyes off screen. You feel restless and worried for the characters and meanwhile, you will find yourself totally immersed into the character's world. This is the kind of movie you want to discuss with your friends and recommend to people.
Of course, such a good movie cannot be without good acting. Tony Leung is really a natural born actor. Gee, I just can't describe his acting in words. His performance is so natural, so genuine, and you just know he is a suffering undercover cop. However, Andy Lau's character is even more interesting. Although he is working for the Triad, he is not really an evil person. In fact, he wants to become a real cop. His character is so hard to define. I would say he is a good person who does bad things in order to become a real good person (sounds contradictory but that's exactly who he is). And Anthony Wong, oh man, what can I say? He is one the best Hong Kong gem actors that every move he makes and every word he says catches your attention and I know he is going to win the Best Supporting Actor in the upcoming Hong Kong Academy Award for sure. And the final half of the movie is just sensational - the two heroes have to cooperate and meanwhile going against each other in order to get the identity they want. The final confrontation scene on the rooftop is so stylish and so mind-imprinting that I think itÃs one of the coolest moments in the recent Hong Kong cinema. (If you are a Hong Kong film fan and have been charmed by Andy Lau and Tony Leung, you'll love it even more!)
Lastly, I have to remind you that there are two endings of the film. WATCH THE HONG KONG VERSION, which is more unsettling and makes you feel somewhat sad and uncomfortable. Another version is old fashioned. The reason they have two versions because Mainland China and some Asian countries think the Hong Kong version is not "bringing appropriate messages" to people. But again, I URGE YOU TO WATCH THE HONG KONG VERSION, PLEASE! That Hong Kong's ending is perfect and it will stay under your skin.
Final Note: Warner Brothers bought the remake right of this film and Brad Pitt is on the casting list. (I don't think it's a good idea, for some reason, this story has to happen in Hong Kong. If they put the background in New York or Detroit, it's just weird. For example, in the final rooftop scene, the camera captures not only the two characters but also the Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong with all those glass wall buildings in the background and itÃs cool! But if the background is the Brooklyn Bridge or those Detroit expressways - Well, just weird). And, there is a prequel on production right now for INFERNAL AFFAIR about what happened to Ming and Yan in those 10 years. So, there's some unsolved storyline in the movie but I guess they will be explained in the prequel. Anyway, just go see this Hong Kong flick! If you can't get a VCD or DVD, just hope the upcoming Toronto Film Festival will play this film in their Midnight Madness Section in September.
Jan Chik
