// 49/365!//
365 FILMS CHALLENGE: Infernal Affairs [2002]
- directed by: Wai-Keung Lau, Alan Mak
- written by: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
- starring: Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Anthony Wong, Eric Tsang
- rating: A
In order to outsmart the cops, triad leader Hon Sam (Eric Tsang) plants a mole in the police unit, Lau Kin Ming (Andy Lau). The police, do the same with Chen Wing Yan (Tony Leung). The two rise up in the ranks and begin a calculated game of cop and robber, their identities more muddled by the day.
Okay, I saw The Departed first, so for a good chunk of Infernal Affairs I was comparing shots and any similarities in plot. Well, no surprise - a lot of it is the same. But yet, by the end, I found myself caring much more about these characters compared to Scorsese’s film. I was on edge for both, yes, but that was because the suspense was building up. Emotionally, however, the leads in Infernal Affairs are the ones to watch.
As the cop picked to go undercover from the start, Yan (Tony Leung) is a guarded man, desperate to return back to the police unit after years running within the triads. He’s got vulnerability that he lets show during rare occasions, and it’s times like these that you root for the character. The camaraderie and respect he has for his two handlers is a part of him that he can’t and won’t erase. On the other hand, Ming (Andy Lau), is branded from the start to be untrustworthy, and yet there’s inner conflict to be seen as he gets promotion after promotion, feeling more like he belongs within the unit. Still, he’s always just one step ahead to guard the triad’s interests.
The pacing of this film is excellent. Never does it linger too long on one scene, one moment, without purpose. Even if I had seen The Departed, it still keeps me guessing. The characters are very much intertwined with each other in an ongoing chase, a suspenseful game that everyone is very much willing to play, and seemingly enjoy. Being able to see the two leads manipulate their way out of situations and their scenes together…it’s a treat.
I can’t recommend this enough. Give it a shot.
