Review of Infernal Affairs (2002) by Adam G — 30 Nov 2008

Unlike its bloated and ultimately ineffective Hollywood remake, The Departed, Infernal Affairs is an economic thriller, every second of the ninety-seven minute runtime contributing to the plot. And what a plot it is â?? Inspector Lau is an ambitious cop, and Chan Wing Yan a trusted associate of crime lord Hon Sam. However, Lau is a mole in the police for Sam, and Yan is an undercover cop, and when the two are alerted to the otherâ??s existence during a tense drug deal, each must find out who the other is in order to guarantee their survival. Directors Lau and Fai Mak handle the potentially unwieldy story with skill, never losing the threads and ensuring you, the audience, are there and knowing whatâ??s going on every step of the way.

The film also has lots of other great aspects that come together to create a virtuosic thriller. The acting is uniformly superb, a great ensemble cast including Andy Lau, Tony Leung and Anthony Wong shining with the great dialogue rolling off their tongues. Special mention, however, must go to Eric Tsang, for not only showing up Jack Nicholson by playing the same role better (Nicholson played the American version of Sam in The Departed), but by being one of the most frightening and unpredictable crime lords ever put on screen. The cinematography is excellent, and every little scene seems to count, coming together to paint more complete pictures of our protagonist and antagonist, if you can even try and pigeon-hole Lau and Yan in such restrictive narrative roles. And youâ??ll be reeling from that ending for days. Infernal Affairs is a modern masterpiece in a very unassuming way â?? minimalist in design, challenging thematically, itâ??s not just a perfect cop thriller, but an astounding film in its own right.