Background
Hong Kong-movies have been popular here in Sweden since the late 80's/early 90's. I remember watching movies like "City on Fire", "Once a Thief" and "The Killer" in 1992-93, being blown away by how great and thrilling they were compared to Hollywood-style cop films. As I delved deeper into the world of Hong Kong-cinema, I also found the bad films, of course. The ones that were boring, unoriginal or simply bad copies of other films. Gradually my love for the Asian cop thriller faded, until it was resurrected when I first watched Takeshi Kitano's "Violent Cop". So what is "Infernal Affairs" - a pale copy, a new "Violent Cop" or just a pretty decent thriller?
Story
Tony Leung plays Yan, an undercover cop who has been infiltrating the triads for ten years. He's burnt out, can't sleep and all he wants is out.
Yan was hand-picked at cadet school because he was great undercover material. To create a believable story, Yan was expelled from cadet school, and the only person who knows his true identity is Commissioner Wong, played by veteran actor Anthony Wong.
Yan has worked for triad boss Sam for three years, gaining his confidence. Now he's working with him on a big drug deal - Thai gangsters are bringing in a boatload of cocaine. Just as the police are about to bust the gangsters, they drop the drugs in the ocean, and the operation is a failure. Commissioner Wong soon understands that not only does he have a mole in Sam's organisation - but Sam has a mole within the police force.
The mole is Ming, played by Andy Lau, who was at the cadet school at the same time that Yan was expelled. Ming is torn between his will to be a real cop, and his loyalty to the triad boss who pays him for his services.
What we are treated to is a cat-and-mouse game, where the cops and gangsters try to find the mole in their respective organisations. And what a game it is. There are twists and turns and just when you think you know what's going to happen, you are proven wrong.
Verdict
"Infernal Affairs" is most reminiscent of great thrillers like Ringo Lam's unforgettable "City on Fire" or some of John Woo's great 80's and 90's films like "A Better Tomorrow" and "Hardboiled". While it has been a while since I watched those Woo films, I dare say that they all pale in comparison with "Infernal Affairs". Finding a cop-thriller of this caliber is something one should treasure.
The actors are of course a huge part of why this film is so great. Anthony Wong, Tony Leung and Andy Lau - could you imagine a better trio? They all give excellent performances, with Tony Leung being especially convincing as the burnt out undercover cop, making every second he is on screen a joy to watch.
There are of course a few things that make this movie less than perfect - sub-plots that aren't necessary and things like that, but you can easily ignore those and they don't take anything away from the charm of the rest of the film.
This is one of those movies you do not want to miss. It has everything - action, suspense, plot twists and lots of emotions. If I ever had to give a five out of five to a cop film, it would be this one.
Hong Kong-movies have been popular here in Sweden since the late 80's/early 90's. I remember watching movies like "City on Fire", "Once a Thief" and "The Killer" in 1992-93, being blown away by how great and thrilling they were compared to Hollywood-style cop films. As I delved deeper into the world of Hong Kong-cinema, I also found the bad films, of course. The ones that were boring, unoriginal or simply bad copies of other films. Gradually my love for the Asian cop thriller faded, until it was resurrected when I first watched Takeshi Kitano's "Violent Cop". So what is "Infernal Affairs" - a pale copy, a new "Violent Cop" or just a pretty decent thriller?
Story
Tony Leung plays Yan, an undercover cop who has been infiltrating the triads for ten years. He's burnt out, can't sleep and all he wants is out.
Yan was hand-picked at cadet school because he was great undercover material. To create a believable story, Yan was expelled from cadet school, and the only person who knows his true identity is Commissioner Wong, played by veteran actor Anthony Wong.
Yan has worked for triad boss Sam for three years, gaining his confidence. Now he's working with him on a big drug deal - Thai gangsters are bringing in a boatload of cocaine. Just as the police are about to bust the gangsters, they drop the drugs in the ocean, and the operation is a failure. Commissioner Wong soon understands that not only does he have a mole in Sam's organisation - but Sam has a mole within the police force.
The mole is Ming, played by Andy Lau, who was at the cadet school at the same time that Yan was expelled. Ming is torn between his will to be a real cop, and his loyalty to the triad boss who pays him for his services.
What we are treated to is a cat-and-mouse game, where the cops and gangsters try to find the mole in their respective organisations. And what a game it is. There are twists and turns and just when you think you know what's going to happen, you are proven wrong.
Verdict
"Infernal Affairs" is most reminiscent of great thrillers like Ringo Lam's unforgettable "City on Fire" or some of John Woo's great 80's and 90's films like "A Better Tomorrow" and "Hardboiled". While it has been a while since I watched those Woo films, I dare say that they all pale in comparison with "Infernal Affairs". Finding a cop-thriller of this caliber is something one should treasure.
The actors are of course a huge part of why this film is so great. Anthony Wong, Tony Leung and Andy Lau - could you imagine a better trio? They all give excellent performances, with Tony Leung being especially convincing as the burnt out undercover cop, making every second he is on screen a joy to watch.
There are of course a few things that make this movie less than perfect - sub-plots that aren't necessary and things like that, but you can easily ignore those and they don't take anything away from the charm of the rest of the film.
This is one of those movies you do not want to miss. It has everything - action, suspense, plot twists and lots of emotions. If I ever had to give a five out of five to a cop film, it would be this one.
