cityonfire.com | Infernal Affairs

	Infernal Affairs "A few of the reviews I've read tout IA as the best thing to emerge from HK since John Woo's The Killer and Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express. Bullshit." - Alexander Infernal Affairs (2002) Director: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai Producer: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung Cast: Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Sammi Cheng Sau-Man, Kelly Chan (Wai Lam), Edison Chen (Koon Hei), Shawn Yu Man-Lok, Elva Hsiao Ah-Hin, Chapman To Man-Chat, Gordon Lam Ka-Tung, Ng Ting Yip, Wan Chi Keung Running Time: 100 min. Plot: Ming is a triad spy working undercover as a police sergeant. Yan is an undercover police spy who has infiltrated and joined a triad. Working from within, the two moles work secretly towards the opposite ends, until eventually they cross paths. Availability: This title is available at HKflix.com Reviews ALEXANDER'S REVIEW: Fellow City on Fire reviewer Raging Gaijin had this to say in a recent review: "Now I know the whole 'the good, the bad, the ugly' approach to writing a review is over-used and cliché." To this I say, Fuck you, dude. My review of Infernal Affairs: The Good: Tony Leung shines in his role as Yan, and is easily the best thing about IA. Since Tony Leung has appeared in every Hong Kong movie since 1982's Five Element Ninja (as a tree ninja, I think), it's easy to forget that we're actually watching Tony Leung in character, and not just watching Tony Leung walking around as...Tony Leung. I mean, he's so pervasive in Hong Kong cinema that we don't point at the television and say, "Hey, that's Yan, an undercover cop." We say: "Hey, that's Tony Leung." Because Anthony Wong and Sammi Cheng and Andy Lau don't really act. Instead, they just sort of exist in front of the camera and play themselves, film after film, while only occassionally "getting in character" by donning fat suits and wigs. But in THIS film, I did forget that I was watching Tony Leung. I saw a disheveled, conflicted, hard-working cop, NOT Tony. THAT'S a testament to how good he is in IA. More good: the story is pretty solid and Anthony Wong as Anthony Wong is great. (In fact, he's as good here as he was in his debut, 1977's The Three-Fingered Disciples of Shaolin). The Bad: The worst thing about IA is the hype surrounding it. A few of the reviews I've read tout IA as the best thing to emerge from HK since John Woo's The Killer and Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express. Bullshit. IA is a solid crime flick that proves moderately entertaining. That's it. Nothing great, and certainly not worthy of TWO sequels. Because I was expecting something superior (superior writing, superior directing, superior this and that and everything else) as result of the effusive praise spewed by bored Asian film fanboys, I was ultimately let down by the average-ness of IA. (You know what I hate? I hate it when Asian film forum posters toss out the increasingly irrelevant and erroneous "You can't compare Hollywood films to Asian films!" Again, bullshit. Take the underrated U.S. film Narc, for instance. Good movie. Had this film looked exactly the same but had been produced by an Asian crew with an Asian cast, it would have been recognized as the best movie ever to emerge out of HK. THAT'S how far behind Asia is in the realm of filmaking. I mean, if Narc, a film 54 people saw in the theaters, according to IMDB, is that superior to the best Asia has to offer, then how good are Asian films REALLY? Hm? Comparisons are NECESSARY to ensure the bar is set high in Asian film; to ensure we'll keep seeing creative crime drama gems like The Killer and The Longest Nite, and not generic fare like IA which is only as good as the best episodes of Law and Order.) The Ugly: Sammi Cheng. Once Hong Kong's hardest working actress, she's relegated to a minutes-long cameo as one of the character's wives. Remember her award-winning turn in the martial arts classic Ancient Shaolin Seamstress? How the mighty have fallen. The Bottom Line: IA is solid, but not as great as some would have you believe. ALEXANDER'S RATING: 6.5/10 BEN POPPEL'S REVIEW: Andrew Lau has finally hit the mark again, that is, with the help of Alan Mak. A solid story and a great cast, but is the highest grossing movie of 2002 really that good? Well, yes and no. It's hard to go wrong with the great talent of Andy Lau and Tony Leung. Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang also brought their game faces and were ready to act. The supporting role of Kelly Chan was also nice and refreshing. But where I thought the movie fell a little short, was in how long it took to get FULLY engrossed in the story. The first hour of this film was kind of like a roller coaster ride. - you would get a great suspenseful set piece followed by a slow, lagging character development piece, then a dynamic cat and mouse segment, again followed by a sluggish flashback segment, etc, etc. Not until the demise of one the cops (won't tell ya who, just watch), does this movie really take off. After this point the film really moves into full throttle. Just getting better and better until the final confrontation between our two stars. Overall, a good picture, with a stunning cast, interesting story, and a big budget feel while still attaining a kind of gritty look. There were a few memorable things and moments I did take away from this film: How wasted Sammi Cheng's cameo was in the film (except for her final scene with Andy, finding out the truth). Seeing Anthony Wong without a goatee or mustache. That awful lame ass wobble Eric Tsang demonstrated as he was trying to escape gunfire from his wrecked car...ahhahh! An American studio has already bought the story rights for this film, possibly attaching Brad Pitt to one of the leads. We will just have to see if it can surpass the original. Maybe this will be Andrew Lau's opportunity to redeem himself after a long string of stinkers. Only time and talent will tell, lets just cross our fingers. BEN POPPEL'S RATING: 8/10

Infernal Affairs

"A few of the reviews I've read tout IA as the best thing to emerge from HK since John Woo's The Killer and Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express. Bullshit."

- Alexander

Infernal Affairs (2002)

Director: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai

Producer: Andrew Lau Wai-Keung

Cast: Andy Lau Tak-Wah, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Sammi Cheng Sau-Man, Kelly Chan (Wai Lam), Edison Chen (Koon Hei), Shawn Yu Man-Lok, Elva Hsiao Ah-Hin, Chapman To Man-Chat, Gordon Lam Ka-Tung, Ng Ting Yip, Wan Chi Keung

Running Time: 100 min.

Plot: Ming is a triad spy working undercover as a police sergeant. Yan is an undercover police spy who has infiltrated and joined a triad. Working from within, the two moles work secretly towards the opposite ends, until eventually they cross paths.

Availability: This title is available at HKflix.com

Reviews

ALEXANDER'S REVIEW: Fellow City on Fire reviewer Raging Gaijin had this to say in a recent review:

"Now I know the whole 'the good, the bad, the ugly' approach to writing a review is over-used and cliché."

To this I say, Fuck you, dude.

My review of Infernal Affairs:

The Good: Tony Leung shines in his role as Yan, and is easily the best thing about IA. Since Tony Leung has appeared in every Hong Kong movie since 1982's Five Element Ninja (as a tree ninja, I think), it's easy to forget that we're actually watching Tony Leung in character, and not just watching Tony Leung walking around as...Tony Leung. I mean, he's so pervasive in Hong Kong cinema that we don't point at the television and say, "Hey, that's Yan, an undercover cop." We say: "Hey, that's Tony Leung." Because Anthony Wong and Sammi Cheng and Andy Lau don't really act. Instead, they just sort of exist in front of the camera and play themselves, film after film, while only occassionally "getting in character" by donning fat suits and wigs. But in THIS film, I did forget that I was watching Tony Leung. I saw a disheveled, conflicted, hard-working cop, NOT Tony. THAT'S a testament to how good he is in IA. More good: the story is pretty solid and Anthony Wong as Anthony Wong is great. (In fact, he's as good here as he was in his debut, 1977's The Three-Fingered Disciples of Shaolin).

The Bad: The worst thing about IA is the hype surrounding it. A few of the reviews I've read tout IA as the best thing to emerge from HK since John Woo's The Killer and Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express. Bullshit. IA is a solid crime flick that proves moderately entertaining. That's it. Nothing great, and certainly not worthy of TWO sequels. Because I was expecting something superior (superior writing, superior directing, superior this and that and everything else) as result of the effusive praise spewed by bored Asian film fanboys, I was ultimately let down by the average-ness of IA. (You know what I hate? I hate it when Asian film forum posters toss out the increasingly irrelevant and erroneous "You can't compare Hollywood films to Asian films!" Again, bullshit. Take the underrated U.S. film Narc, for instance. Good movie. Had this film looked exactly the same but had been produced by an Asian crew with an Asian cast, it would have been recognized as the best movie ever to emerge out of HK. THAT'S how far behind Asia is in the realm of filmaking. I mean, if Narc, a film 54 people saw in the theaters, according to IMDB, is that superior to the best Asia has to offer, then how good are Asian films REALLY? Hm? Comparisons are NECESSARY to ensure the bar is set high in Asian film; to ensure we'll keep seeing creative crime drama gems like The Killer and The Longest Nite, and not generic fare like IA which is only as good as the best episodes of Law and Order.)

The Ugly: Sammi Cheng. Once Hong Kong's hardest working actress, she's relegated to a minutes-long cameo as one of the character's wives. Remember her award-winning turn in the martial arts classic Ancient Shaolin Seamstress? How the mighty have fallen.

The Bottom Line: IA is solid, but not as great as some would have you believe.

ALEXANDER'S RATING: 6.5/10

BEN POPPEL'S REVIEW: Andrew Lau has finally hit the mark again, that is, with the help of Alan Mak. A solid story and a great cast, but is the highest grossing movie of 2002 really that good? Well, yes and no. It's hard to go wrong with the great talent of Andy Lau and Tony Leung. Anthony Wong and Eric Tsang also brought their game faces and were ready to act. The supporting role of Kelly Chan was also nice and refreshing. But where I thought the movie fell a little short, was in how long it took to get FULLY engrossed in the story. The first hour of this film was kind of like a roller coaster ride. - you would get a great suspenseful set piece followed by a slow, lagging character development piece, then a dynamic cat and mouse segment, again followed by a sluggish flashback segment, etc, etc.

Not until the demise of one the cops (won't tell ya who, just watch), does this movie really take off. After this point the film really moves into full throttle. Just getting better and better until the final confrontation between our two stars. Overall, a good picture, with a stunning cast, interesting story, and a big budget feel while still attaining a kind of gritty look. There were a few memorable things and moments I did take away from this film:

How wasted Sammi Cheng's cameo was in the film (except for her final scene with Andy, finding out the truth).
Seeing Anthony Wong without a goatee or mustache.
That awful lame ass wobble Eric Tsang demonstrated as he was trying to escape gunfire from his wrecked car...ahhahh!

An American studio has already bought the story rights for this film, possibly attaching Brad Pitt to one of the leads. We will just have to see if it can surpass the original. Maybe this will be Andrew Lau's opportunity to redeem himself after a long string of stinkers. Only time and talent will tell, lets just cross our fingers.

BEN POPPEL'S RATING: 8/10