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"You choose your own destiny"
Infernal Affairs was a gripping case of cat and mouse accentuated by both main characters having existential crises over their paths in life. Starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Andy Lau in their prime, they took a tight cerebral script and made it shine.
Chan Wing Yan and Lau Kin Ming are both cadets at the police academy. Yan is kicked out and seemingly turns to a life of crime. Ming seemingly becomes an upright police officer. Turns out both stories are false. Yan goes deep undercover for 10 years fighting his way into Hon Sam’s triad while Ming under orders from the crime boss climbs the ladder becoming an Internal Affairs officer. Each seeks to sabotage their employers until it becomes abundantly clear to both organizations that they have a mole amongst their midst. The men are assigned to discover the mole, knowing they are the mole their bosses are looking for, and also discovering the opposing mole. Yan and Ming circle ever closer and closer to the identity of their cunning counterpart.
Infernal Affairs would have been a fine cops and robbers film as it was. What set it apart were the motivations and yearnings of the main characters. Yan was tired of being seen by society as a bad guy regardless of the suffering he endured to help the police and that same society. He wanted out, but events blew up making that dream unlikely. Ming seemed to have no such qualms for much of the film about his dirty dealings until confronted with who he truly was, and secretly desiring to be the good guy he portrayed to others. The honorable cop was disguised as a bad guy while the bad guy was disguised as an honorable cop. The emotional and mental gymnastics each went through attempting to determine who they truly were set both men on a collision course not only with each other but also their true selves.
The writing, cinematography, music, and sets were all stellar. Tony Leung and Andy Lau had great chemistry with each other and their co-stars. Even though there were internal conflicts, that didn’t mean there was no violence or gun play. The thrilling hide and seek was balanced with action and life or death consequences. Too many gangster films overly rely on revenge, double-crosses and gruesome body counts. Infernal Affairs excelled in bringing two compelling characters to life who struggled to stay alive and keep their identities secret while never letting the story drag. Each man became entrenched in his own hell with very little hope of escaping. Infernal Affairs delivered from beginning to gut punching end.
15 February 2025
Chan Wing Yan and Lau Kin Ming are both cadets at the police academy. Yan is kicked out and seemingly turns to a life of crime. Ming seemingly becomes an upright police officer. Turns out both stories are false. Yan goes deep undercover for 10 years fighting his way into Hon Sam’s triad while Ming under orders from the crime boss climbs the ladder becoming an Internal Affairs officer. Each seeks to sabotage their employers until it becomes abundantly clear to both organizations that they have a mole amongst their midst. The men are assigned to discover the mole, knowing they are the mole their bosses are looking for, and also discovering the opposing mole. Yan and Ming circle ever closer and closer to the identity of their cunning counterpart.
Infernal Affairs would have been a fine cops and robbers film as it was. What set it apart were the motivations and yearnings of the main characters. Yan was tired of being seen by society as a bad guy regardless of the suffering he endured to help the police and that same society. He wanted out, but events blew up making that dream unlikely. Ming seemed to have no such qualms for much of the film about his dirty dealings until confronted with who he truly was, and secretly desiring to be the good guy he portrayed to others. The honorable cop was disguised as a bad guy while the bad guy was disguised as an honorable cop. The emotional and mental gymnastics each went through attempting to determine who they truly were set both men on a collision course not only with each other but also their true selves.
The writing, cinematography, music, and sets were all stellar. Tony Leung and Andy Lau had great chemistry with each other and their co-stars. Even though there were internal conflicts, that didn’t mean there was no violence or gun play. The thrilling hide and seek was balanced with action and life or death consequences. Too many gangster films overly rely on revenge, double-crosses and gruesome body counts. Infernal Affairs excelled in bringing two compelling characters to life who struggled to stay alive and keep their identities secret while never letting the story drag. Each man became entrenched in his own hell with very little hope of escaping. Infernal Affairs delivered from beginning to gut punching end.
15 February 2025
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