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Infernal
Affairs 2
"...the
appeal of IA2 is that the focus of this story is on the relationship between
Wong and Sam..."
-
Owlman
Infernal
Affairs 2 (2003)
Director:
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung, Alan Mak Siu-Fai
Producer:
Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
Cast: Anthony
Wong Chau-Sang, Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Francis Ng Chun-Yu, Carina Lau Ka-Ling,
Edison Chen (Koon Hei), Shawn Yu Man-Lok, Andrew Lin Hoi, Roy Cheung Yiu-Yeung,
Teddy Chan Tak-Sum, Arthur Wong (Ngok Tai), Henry Fong Ping, Chapman To
Man-Chat, Fu Ka Lei
Running
Time: 119 min.
Plot:
In this prequel to Infernal Affairs, the focus is on the relationship between
Inspector Wong (Anthony Wong) and Sam (Eric Tsang) during the period of
1991 to 1997. After the top triad leader in Hong Kong is assassinated in
1991, his son Hau (Francis Ng) takes charge and immediately coerces all
of his lieutenants into swearing allegiance to him - with the exception
of Sam as he is already a loyal subject to the Ngai family. Over the course
of the next six years, betrayals are revealed on both the triads and the
police investigators parts as a triad war starts, culminating in the rise
of Sam as top triad boss and the beginning ot Wong's intense hunt to take
him down.
Availability:
This title is available at HKflix.com
Reviews
OWLMAN'S
REVIEW:
Let me begin by saying that the synopsis is not a spoiler. Being a prequel
to the first IA, the ending of IA2 is a foregone conclusion - we know that
Sam is a top triad boss and we know that Wong has every intention of taking
him down.
With that being said, the appeal of IA2 is that the focus of this story
is on the relationship between Wong and Sam, hinted only in the first IA
as one that use to be quite amicable. In fact, IA2 actually starts off
with both Wong and Sam sitting together in a police station sharing a meal
and conversation. During this conversation, Wong confesses to Sam that
he has never taken him down for his illegal activities because he truly
believes him to be a noble person. Further, he also tells Sam that he would
rather see him in power than the current top boss, Keung, as he believes
that he would be less ruthless and bring balance to the criminal underworld.
This discussion hints at the things to come. As stated in the synopsis,
throughout the rest of the film, betrayals are revealed and conclude what
Wong originally wished for - and, as a result, remind everyone to be careful
of what you wish for.
IA2 really shines in the fact that they've put the focus on strong actors
who bring complexities to characters that could have been the usual one
dimensional cookie-cutter type so prevalent in gangster movie after gangster
movie. Anthony Wong is brilliant as the conflicted Inspector Wong who tries
to balance the nobility of his profession with the "necessary evils"
that he ends up getting involved with. He brings the usual intensity to
this role as with his many others and while watching this film, I began
to sympathize with his character as he made the difficult and mostly ruinous
choices to take the triads down.
On the same coin, Eric Tsang also portrays Sam with a more layered characterization
than in the first IA - we know that he's ruthless in IA but IA2 allows
Tsang to reveal the gradual hardening of Sam's heart. Starting off as a
noble follower of the Ngai family who never questions the leader, Sam is
beset with a power play that he has never chosen to be involved in and
this leads to an evolution into the cold and calculating triad boss in
the end.
Playing Hau, the son of the assassinated top triad boss, Francis Ng also
brings to his role the cool demeanor that he's so good with. At first glance,
Hau looks like a mild mannered accountant but as the film moves on, it's
obvious that lying behind the low-key manner is everything that Sam is
destined to become - cold, calcuating, and ruthless. One of the best scenes
in the movie has Hau calling up each of his father's lieutenants while
they're having a late night dinner together. One by one, each fall victim
to his blackmailing and have no choice but to swear allegiance to the new
top boss. Whereas this could have fallen into parody with Ng yelling threats
to everyone, it showed that more subtle methods are even more effective.
Carina Lau plays Mary, wife to Sam, and a catalyst for everything that
happens throughout the film. Instead of playing the character as a subservient
type of gangster moll, Lau gets to shine as a dedicated wife who gets a
little too involved in her husband's activities.
You'll note that so far, I've made no mention of the characters of Yan
(Shawn Yue playing a younger Tony Leung) and Ming (Edison Chen playing
a younger Andy Lau). That's because their roles are so minor in this film
that it's best to describe them as sub-plots that probably didn't need
to be in there. Sure, you see how they both end up as moles within the
triads and within the police force but it really didn't add anything to
an already strong story.
Chapman To...well, he's just an annoying tool in this movie. 'Nuff said.
One more minor minus on this film - the score. The use of choral music
seemed out of place in many scenes and unnecessarily overpowering in others.
CONCLUSION
IA2 is an excellent prequel and a great showcase for some strong acting.
I would be quite happy if they stopped the franchise with this but with
the critically-savaged IA3 already out and plans for a TV series, the old
economics law of diminishing returns is inevitably going to take effect.
OWLMAN'S
RATING: 9/10
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