INFERNAL AFFAIRS

SYNOPSIS:
Ming (Andy Lau) is a Triad mole inside Hong Kong police, having spent 10 years working his way up from the police academy on the orders of his Triad boss Sam ( ). Yan (Tony Leung) is a police mole inside Sam’s Triad gang, recruited by the only man who has knowledge of his real identity, Superintendent Wang (Anthony Wang) before he graduated from the police academy. The two men are feeling increasingly trapped in their false surroundings. When both sides realise there is a mole in their midst, a dangerous game begins as each tries to identify the informer among them. Ming himself is promoted to Internal Affairs and given the job of uncovering the mole within.

Review by Andrew L. Urban:
Infernal Affairs is a surprise; it’s not the usual Hong Kong chop socky, but a thoughtful, well constructed police/crime drama with a well developed inner core that gives the story extra bite. The two opposites, both leading double lives, are connected by the sinew of lies they have to live, but their parallel lives also adds a certain bond that finally gives the film its pathos. 

Andy Lau’s polished direction includes a few stylish flourishes, the dialogue is crisp and the edgy dynamics make this an audience pleaser. Characters, on both sides of the good/bad divide, are developed enough to make them more than graphic elements to fill scenes, and low key romantic / domestic asides give the film more depth. 

The multi-talented and popular Lau and Tony Leung (fondly remembered by anyone who saw In The Mood For Love) both deliver first class performances that go beyond the usual stereotypes of police dramas; they add vulnerability and internal tension to their characters. The supports are all excellent, too.

The film tops and tails with a quotation about longevity not being an advantage in hell – and the film’s focused storyline bears this out. While it has plenty of gutsy scenes, the film reaches wider with its attention to the humanity of its central characters. The film’s enormous success in Hong Kong suggests that audiences can appreciate a film with more than 20 fight sequences going for it.