Infernal Affairs
(Mou gaan dou)(2002)
Loyalty. Honor. Betrayal.
Directed by Wai-Keung Lau and Alan Mak and later remade as The Departed by Martin Scorcese, this Hong Kong crime-thriller follows an undercover cop (Tony Chiu Wai Leung) and a triad member (Andy Lau) working as a police department mole.... More
Ten years after their appointment as moles, undercover policeman Chan Wing-Yan (Leung) and triad member Lau Kin Ming (Lau) are growing confused about their true identities while their respective employers, police superintendent Wong (Anthony Wong) and crime boss Hon Sam (Eric Tsang) continue to wage a battle of wits against each other. Each boss learns that the other has a mole working for him and Ming and Yan have to scramble to expose one another's identity in an effort to save their own skins.
Co-director Wai-Keung (AKA Andrew) Lau previously worked as a cinematographer on several of Wong Kar-Wai's films (Chungking Express, As Tears Go By). Renowned cinematographer Christopher Doyle served as visual consultant.Hide
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Directed by Wai-keung Lau, Alan Mak
Starring Andy Lau, Tony Chiu Wai Leung, Anthony Chau-Sang Wong, Eric Tsang, Kelly Chen, Sammi Cheng, Edison Chen, Shawn Yue
Written by Alan Mak, Felix Chong
The Peoples' Reviews
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Infernal Affairs
The Press Reviews
What makes it special is the inner turmoil caused by living a lie. If everyone you know and everything you do for 10 years indicates you are one kind of person, and you know you are another, how do you live with that? Full Review
With gloss as well as depth, this super-stylish Asian crime thriller should play beyond UK arthouses to become more than another cult favourite. Full Review
This stripped-down noir, about a pair of detectives leading undercover lives, signals a new era for Hong Kong filmmaking. Full Review
The relentless pace of Infernal Affairs, briskly spinning a story of two men on a collision course with their principles, offers lessons for Hollywood. This is how movies can move. This is how mature an action movie can be. Full Review
...careful plotting, rich characterisations and sleek mise-en-scène give this an impact rarely seen in HK films these days. Full Review
Superbly honed at both script and performance levels, with character taking precedence over action. Full Review
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