Review of Infernal Affairs (2002) by Brett C — 19 Jul 2014

Review In A Nutshell:

Infernal Affairs is the story of two individuals, one a mole for the Chinese triad and one an informant placed in the Chinese police force, trying to expose each other.

I found Infernal Affairs plot to be highly engaging but sadly a little thin in its characterisation. Throughout the entire film, I kept thinking how each one would expose each other and whether or not they are able to keep themselves under the shade as both the leaders of these two groups are pressing hard on their tail, but I felt the film had all of that tension put on Chen Wing Yan (Tony) instead of Inspector Lau Kin Ming and it bothered me a little as the internal tension felt too one-sided. But in saying this, I still feel that the film held its ground, delivering a story with twists and turns that were unexpected; I am not letting my pre-conceived knowledge of The Departed affect my opinion of the film.

The film also featured interesting characters and was used to effectively to explore a tale about morality and identity. These ideas are concealed during the early stages of the film, in order to have the audience's perception of the characters be established, then as the film progresses it starts to reveal itself slowly as we learn more and more of the characters. What was great about this was the film's ability to deliver this deep characterisation and not letting it get in the way of the film's superficial thrills. It is only during the film's conclusion where we realise that we have actually gained a sense of connection with the characters and that they weren't simply plot drivers; these characters also came to life through the strong efforts from the actors as they captured their roles well and showing faith to the film's writing rather than trying too hard in delivering a "deep" performance. Though I praise the film's writing of these characters, I did have some issues and it mostly concerns with the relationships that these characters had; the inspector and his wife, the mole and the psychiatrist and Superintendent. These relationships felt a little too hollow and were executed in such a mediocre and forced way that it almost took me out of immersion. These issues could have been resolved with a bit more detail in the writing and spending more time around the characters rather than be too plot focused.

The film's cinematography was a hit and miss for me, there were moments where the film felt stylishly dynamic and other times the film felt melodramatic and dated; those slow motion segments and black and white flashbacks. I adored the films gritty and raw look, which I felt was a little lost in Scorsese's The Departed, it drew me in to the nature of these two men's profession and also the atmosphere of Hong Kong.

Infernal Affairs is a strong thriller that should still be watched even if one has already seen The Departed.