Infernal Affairs

Andrew Lau (no new-comer to the FEFJ, having shown many films in earlier editions) and Alan Mak (the co-writer of the wonderful but rarely seen film-noir A War Named Desire) are the co-directors of Infernal Affairs. This is an urban action film, highly acclaimed by national audiences. It is good to note its success as it recalls feelings and mechanisms now seemingly lost, which characterized the Hong Kong cinema industry at its peak. The alchemy of story-telling, mise-en-scène and moral severity about mankind and life comes back with new strength - supported by a really noteworthy cast. Andy Lau (getting better as time goes on) and Tony Leung Chiu-wai once again show their stature as great actors. Anthony Wong, one of the all-time best Hong Kong actors, and Eric Tsang, with his extraordinarily eclectic face (unforgettable in Metade Fumaca, FEFJ 2000) land the best roles for themselves. The young actors Edison Chen and Sammy Cheng are, however, not to be overlooked. Ming (Lau) is a cop who plays dirty - he is the informer for an important drug ring boss (Tsang). Yan (Leung Chiu-wai), a gangster who is actually a cop, also plays a double game. He keeps his own boss, Wong, constantly up-dated on the moves of the criminals. Little by little the tension builds up into a feeling of claustrophobia - the chances of manoeuvre thin out, leading up to the final shake-down. Infernal Affairs follows well trodden paths, but Alan Mak and Felix Chong’s script manages to outline the characters clearly and build up the drama with great suspense and confidence. The directors build wonderfully articulated sequences - as seen in the opening scenes with the interception of a drug deal, a scene which is repeated continually. If there is one thing which is out of place, it is perhaps the ending - an ending which makes everything more or less turn out alright (some time ago an ending like this would never have been contemplated in Hong Kong cinema). There is, however, an alternative ending. You can find this hastier but not less disappointing ending in the DVD version. However, the ending in no way detracts from the quality of the film itself: it is one of the best Hong Kong police films recently made.