Andy Lau and Tony Leung face off
Infernal Affairs (2002) Chinese Movie Information
Title in Chinese – 无间道
Title in Pinyin – Wu Jian Dao
Genre – Thriller
Subject/theme – An under cover police offer and a triad mole secretly face off
Language – Cantonese
Region – Hong Kong
Release date
Hong Kong – 12th December 2002
Taiwan – 13th December 2002
France – 15th March 2003
Movie runtime – 102 minutes
Director – Andrew Lau & Alan Mark
Cast & Role Played
Andy Lau – Lau Kin-ming, triad member and mole in the police force
Tony Leung – Chan Wing-yan, under cover police officer in the triad
Anthony Wong – Superintendant Wong Chi-shing, Chan’s superior
Eric Tsang – Hon Sam, triad boss
Shawn Yue – Young Chan Wing Yan
Chapman To – Tsui Wai-keung, Hon’s henchman
Kelly Chen – Dr Lee Sum-yee, Chan’s therapist
Sammi Cheng – Mar, Lau’s girlfriend
Story
A triad boss Hon Sam sends a number of his young members to join the police force and be his moles. One of those young members is Lai Kin-ming. At the same time a young police recruit Chan Wing-yan is kicked out of the police academy and joins the triad. Unknown to any one except superintendant Wong Chi-sing and one other senior officer, Chan is an under cover police agent infiltrating the triad.
Lau is rapidly promoted through the ranks of the police force and becomes an indispensable aid to Hon in his battle against the police and rival triad gangs. Chan slowly works his way in to Hon’s inner circle and experiences a life extreme stress and seeks help from a therapist Lee Sum. After 10 years of under cover work, both Lau and Chan are facing identity issues. Chan doubting himself as a police officer after living the life of a criminal for so many years and Lau wants to stay a police officer and erase his criminal identity.
As the story progresses, Chan loses his only link to the police force and Lau takes steps to remove all traces of his criminal past so he can begin a new life as a bona fide police officer. Chan and Lau eventually uncover each other’s secret identities and meet in an explosive confrontation that is the pivotal point of the movie.
Editor’s Review of Ip Man – Score 8/10
With highly talented cast, outstanding acting and a riveting story line, Infernal Affairs is one of the best police thrillers ever to come out of China. Infernal Affairs was so popular, it spawned a prequel, a sequel and was copied (less successfully) by Martin Scorese in his 2006 movie “The Departed” starring Leonardo Decapio and Matt Damon and won academy award for best picture. As good as The Departed is, Infernal Affairs is much better.