[xosandy]

Infernal Affairs

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 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 blockbuster in Asia, INFERNAL AFFAIRS is a landmark of Hong Kong cinema that deserves the same status abroad.

Director: Wai Keung Lau, Alan Mak
Screenwriter: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Wai Keung Lau

Cast:
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as Chan Wing-Yan
Andy Lau as Inspector Lau Kin-Ming
Anthony Wong as Superintendent Wong Chi-Shing
Eric Tsang as Hon Sam
Chapman To as Tsui Wai-Keung
Gordon Lam as Inspector B
Kelly Chen as Dr. Lee Sum-Yee
Sammi Cheng as Mary
Berg Ng as Inspector Cheung
Dion Lam as Del Piero
Edison Chen as Young Lau Kin-Ming
Shawn Yue as Young Chan Wing-Yan
Elva Hsiao as May

Any thoughts?

[StealthGnome]

Where can I find this?

[SophiaSan]

great movie. i love how the trilogy goes backwards.
great plot.

[vc1188]

UUUUUUUUUGH I LOOOOOOVE INFERNAL AFFAIRS! Or okay, I loved the first one. I thought the plot for the first one was SO good, and the actors were amazing. Andy Lau played the jackass so well hahaha. and Tony Leung = <3 <3 <3

[diru]

Hong Kong cinema at its finest here. I've yet to see the other two IA movies but I plan on buying the trilogy boxset soon.

The Departed was also a great American remake, Scorsese did the original film justice.

[missdevotional]

I love Infernal Affairs :]
Amazing.

Yeah, the Departed was awesome also xD

[lulybonynsungie]

one of my favorite chinese movies! i've only seen the first one tho.....Andy Lau and Tony Leong are amazing actors! I LOVE ANDY LAU hahah

[Mirae-chan]

O_O there wasn't a thread for this awesome trilogy?

some of my favourite chinese movies <333

[mookie]

I love Infernal Affairs I soo soooo sooooooo much. I think it's HK cinema at it's bestest. Super tight script, with sucha depth even metaphorically hitting on Buddism and the concept of eternal hell. I was sooo amazed by it, perfect directing, and the perfect acting too even fr Andy Lau (who usu plays a cariacuture of his handsome self in every and all of the movies he is in). It was suspenseful, it was thought provoking, it has everything that is satisfying/exhilarating/entertaining in this genre. It has soul, it has heart, it has style, it has intense drama and complex characters...what's more to ask? I was sooo sooo optimistic on HK cinema after watching it. At least there is hope.

So with that said, The Departed totally butchered it. It's a pirated, imitation of the art, and I lost respect for Martin Scorcese for this. It's not a bad action mafia movie on its own, but it just suffocated all those artistic intricities and the tone and the soul of the movie. Its like reading Hamlet in manga. The story will still be terrific, but Totally not doing it justice.


Yeah I think there is a similar thread about this ...or comparing it to Departed. But I cant stop gagain here even after all these years.

[Ender's Girl]

IA 1-3=frigging WOW. blew me away. i can't think of a better introduction to HK cinema for the non-chinese viewer.

i thought the departed was a solid effort at a remake (even if scorsese virtually denied it was a remake per se, but rather one "loosely based" on the lau/mak original. but c'mawwwwn, who was he fooling? ), but it still doesn't hold a candle to IA, not by a long shot. i nevertheless found the remake highly entertaining and thought that it was able to develop its own personality and rhythm, thereby letting the film stand on its own. what mainly saved the departed from abject copycat hell were the performances of jack nicholson (always masterclass) and to some extent, leo dicaprio and matt damon. i thought the ending (damon's character getting killed--da hell wuzzat?!?!?) was completely unwarranted, and went against the whole POINT of the original films: sometimes it IS the bad guys who win out in the end, but at what price? is living really a better fate than dying, knowing that the rest of your life will be one big fat empty LIE? the ending of the departed was the worst part about it, imho.

[fantasian]

the charachters were really portrayed well by Tony and Andy. Complex and multi-layered charachters.

i actually felt sympathy for both charachters, Andy wasnt a completely bad guy, he was just trapped in this world of crime.

[jaceone]

Infernal Affairs was a great trilogy. these were the first 3 movies that introduced me to HK cinema and i have yet to watch another HK movie that comes close (if anyone knows of any, please let me know.)

it's sad how even when Scorsese won an award on national American television for the film Departed, he credited a "Japanese film" that inspired his movie. wtf? he ripped off the whole Infernal Affairs movie and he didn't even have the decency to remember where the original was from. I, too, lost a lot of respect for Scorsese after that acceptance speech.

Where can I find this?

you can find this movie anywhere, ebay is littered with Infernal Affairs dvds.
they also sold the US release at best buy and target a year or two ago, but i'm not sure if they still keep it in stock.
if you're from the bay area (since it says you go to Balboa High), you can pick up the movies at Amoeba Records on Haight in SF.
amazon.com still has the trilogy and individual films in stock, but i prefer the Tartan Asia Extreme UK versions (the artwork is better than the cheesy US release, imo).

and if you want to watch it online, go to http://www.crunchyroll.com/group/CRSeries_...Affairs_trilogy

[allatonce]

I remember watching this when it first came out. It was great. Followed by the other two IA films.

[ginger]

I haven't gotten to see the second and third installments, but the first one was fantastic. It's not just a cheap thriller film, even though the action will totally appease those in want of a shoot-em-up flick.

-ginger

[c a t h e r s]

i looved the first movie! it was incredible...and so i couldn't wait to watch the second and third. since i downloaded all of them, i watched the second and third the day after watching the first one XD they weren't as good...but still good nonetheless. after watching these, however, i watched the american version and i have to say that it can't compare to the chinese version.

[lovecrumbs]

I liked this movie! I watched the first and second but I havent seen the third one yet.

[A m a r a n t h]

oh good stuff good stuff
annoyed still about the american remake
that one that won like oscar for best picture last year
OH the departed yea losers

[redmoon123]

I saw this a while ago, I and II. Great movie !! The plot is awesome. I like it better than The Departed.

[JJ.exot5ia]

i loved this~ all of them, watched it over
and over and over and over....... and over again

-Rebecca

[xkrndreamer]

the departed was the better movie although it was based on this.