INFERNAL AFFAIRS
Directed by: Andrew Lau & Alan Mak.
Produced by: Nansun Shi, John Chong.
Written by: Alan Mak & Felix Chong.
Director of Photography: Andrew Lau & Lau Yu-fai.
Edited by: Danny Pang & Pang Ching-hei.
Music by: Chan Kwok-wing.
Released by: Miramax.
Language: Cantonese with English subtitles.
Country of Origin: Hong Kong. 101 min. Rated: R.
With: Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Eric Tsang & Anthony Wong.

Infernal Affairs could easily have fallen into an all too familiar terrain, but instead, it is a wondrously unformulaic Hong Kong action thriller. Sure, guns fly rampantly, but not without scintillating purpose. Co-directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak have created a fully-realized, character-driven drama that flourishes in the face of defying convention.

The film follows two Hong Kong police officers. High-ranking Ming (Andy Lau in an impressively subtle performance) is actually a member of a triad gang, and Yan (Tony Leung), an undercover cop, has spent his entire career infiltrating the triad as one of its key players. Fully imbedded in their assignments, the two have never crossed paths over their 10 years of duplicity. But when a drug exchange/bust goes wrong for both sides, each organization realizes it has a mole in its midst. Both Ming and Yan are now, sometimes humorously, put in charge of uncovering their respective traitors.

This is a movie alive with conflict. Ming is not your typical dirty cop. He is internally tormented by his allegiance to the gang and his coworkers’ glowing admiration. Yan, having been undercover for so long, finds solace only through weekly sessions with his therapist, where he always fall asleep on the couch rather than divulge his mental torture. At times both men seem as though they are about to crack under pressure, and at other times as determined as ever to find the other insider.

Ripe with imagination, Infernal Affairs provides a balance between action and drama. When Ming's fiancée learns of his secret affiliation with the triad, it is as nerve-wracking and intense as the final confrontation between the two warriors. And the moment these two finally do come face to face with the full knowledge of the other's actions, the altercation is both clever and sickly gratifying. Hugely successful overseas, this fast-paced film should translate just as impressively to an American audience. (Director Martin Scorsese has already chosen to remake the film for release next year.) Michael Belkewitch
September 23, 2004