I'm always a big fan of Oscar winning hits. So far, no American film which bagged Best Picture disappointed me except for Slumdog Millionaire. The Departed was an enjoyable crime movie, obviously because of Martin Scorsese whom gave us all time classics (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas) with Godfather alumni and multiple Oscar winner Robert DeNiro.
But The Departed is a remake. So it was necessary for me to watch the original art.
Much like The Departed, Infernal Affairs is a fast paced crime thriller. A cat and mouse game played by the cops and criminals. Much in the vein of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino's Heat. But there's a shred of difference that makes it very intriguing. An undercover cop infiltrating the Mafia... I mean Triads as well as a Triad member infiltrating the Police Force.
The plot is essentially identical to The Departed but directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak created a universe more intense and psychological compared to it's Hollywood counterpart. The Departed follows a typical tone of a Martin Scorsese film... A violent, dirty and cynical half of the American society. Infernal Affairs digs deep into the minds of Chan Wing Yan(Tony Leung) and Lau Kin Ming(Andy Lau).
Not to be missed are the performances of comedian Eric Tsang from the Super Trio Show as Triad Boss Hon Sam and Anthony Wong as Superintendent Wong Chi-Shing. I'd mark Anthony Wong as the one who gives the best acting among the main cast. Too bad he was given the backseat was killed early in the film. Don't worry, we'll see much of him in the prequel Infernal Affairs II.
However, this film is a little bit boring compared to it's successor. Maybe it's because I've watched The Departed long enough to anticipate the next move. But it's like reading Mario Puzo's The Godfather, you need to respect the original.
The pairing of Tony Leung and Andy Lau is also quite effectve. A reminiscent of the teaming of Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino in Heat.
8.0/10... Actually 6.5 but additional marks are given for inspiring an Oscar winner.
I'd like to identify Infernal Affairs II as a superior prequel to it's predecessor. The directing team of Andrew Lau and Alan Mak
takes the prequel in a more intense and productive story with a darker and more cynical tone. In the way that The Godfather Part II delved back into Brando's Don's formative years, Infernal Affairs II fleshes out beginning of Yan(Shawn Yue) and Ming(Edison Chen) as undercover components in opposing sides. It also explores the early friendship of Superintendent Wong and Hon Sam during their early days during the early to mid 1990's.
However, I find certain plot points simillar to The Godfather series, particularly The Godfather Part II. That's why I like it...LOL.
The subplot involving veteran Mob boss Ngai Kwun's death in the hands of Ming(prior to his days as Hon Sam's mole in the police force) and the rise and takeover of his son Ngai Wing-Hau(Francis Ng) parallels the end of The Godfather and The Godfather Part II.
Ngai Kwun was the boss of bosses/Capo di tutti capi of the Triad five families. Much like Vito Corleone,all bosses need to have his permission in business dealings. Hon Sam's scheming wife Mary(Carina Lau) ordered Ming to push the button so her husband could take over. The other "big four" bosses conspire to topple Wing Hau to consolidate their power. Much like the scenario in The Godfather Part II where Hyman Roth, Fredo Corleone and Frank Pentangelli rubbed out Michael Corleone.
At the same time, Superintendent Wong is relying on Hon Sam for information and sends out Yan as a mole in Wing Hau's mob. It is revealed that Yan came from a mobster background. Things got ugly as Ngai Wing Hau found out Mary Hon conspired with Superintendent Wong to kill Ngai Kwun. Superintendent Wong is demoted and is pending trial for conspiracy murder. However, he is receiving support from police force who will stop at nothing to bring down Ngai Wing Hau. Superintendent Wong gets his nerve after Wing Hau bombs his friend's car.
Wing Hau also rubs out the big four and Hon Sam in retaliation for their refusal to co-operate. However, Mary Hon worked alone and Hon Sam is very loyal to Wing Hau. The killings of Wing Hau's enemies occurred at the same time. Flashes of each assassination come spontaneously much like all 3 Godfather movies. Wing Hau also sends his family to Hawaii in the ensuing war.
Mary Hon goes into hiding after Ming saves her. Ming begins to flirt with Mary who angrily berates him and attempts to meet her husband in Thailand but is violently mowed down by a car driven by Wing Hau's henchmen.
Hon Sam also stays in Thailand and attempts to conspire with a Thai drug dealer to overthrow their respective bosses. Superintendent Wong enlists Hon Sam's help to testify against Wing Hau but runs away at the last minute. In turns out Hon Sam's That buddies have held Wing Hau's family hostage. Wing Hau holds Hon Sam at gunpoint with Superintendent Wong and his men asking him to stand down. Before Wing Hau could pull the trigger, Superintendent Wong shoots him in the head. A devastated Yan cradles his dying half brother in front of his own comrades.
This film distinguishes itself from the original to explore a more gangster orientated storyline and a violent mob war. The film is quite complicated but isn't confusing. Finally, Anthony Wong's character is shown full circle as Edison Chen and Shawn Yue are given the backseat. Eric Tsang plays a jollier version of Hon Sam before his downfall.
However, Francis Ng plays his character of Ngai Wing Hau identical to Al Pacino's Michael Corleone from The Godfather Part II.As happened with Pacino's Michael Corleone, Ngai the family's rank outsider suddenly develops into its main man, and he sets out to avenge his dead father, as well as take on the other Triad clan. Wing Hau also points out his father's ways and quotes and is a strong family man also like Michael Corleone.
Whereas Francis Ford Coppola weaved The Godfather into his narrative, here it remains very much on the margins. Thankfully, at its core, it's a skillful, absorbing crime thriller.
8.7/10... The best Hong Kong film not to be participated by Stephen Chow I've ever seen.
Unlike it's predecessor, Infernal Affairs III doesn't measure up to the previous 2 movies and it's only motivation is to end the story and make Lau Kin Ming "pay for his sins" like Coppola's The Godfather Part III. This sequel explores Yan's final months investigating Hon Sam's dealings with a mainland triad boss Shen(Chen Daoming). Also in the picture is another of Hon Sam's police moles Inspector Yeung.
In the process, Yan gets into trouble and is introduced to psychiatric treatment with Dr Lee(Kelly Chen), his love interest in the first film.
It also flashes back and forth into the days after Yan's death. Inspector Yeung is working to reveal Hon Sam's still thriving mole. Andy Lau returns as Ming, now paranoid of his previous actions is hitting on Inspector Yeung hard to prove him as the mole, giving him some breathing space.
Over time, Ming becomes paranoid and is hallucinating himself as Yan trying to find the mole. In the end, he found the edvidence he needed and proceeds to arrest Yeung. Before he could play the tapes, Shen appears and plays the tape provided by Yan, proving that Ming is the mole. Ming begs for forgiveness and in a moment of madness shoots down Yeung fatally. He attempts suicide but only manages to cause brain damage and lives the rest of his life haunted and mad.
This film is a poor effort to cash in the series and is hastily assembled. Only the ending portraying Ming's downfall is worth watching. the plot involving Yan and Hon Sam's dealing with Shen doesn't come to terms with the original film. The romantic sub-plot involving Yan and Dr Lee is kinda boring.
It's like The Godfather Part III of the series. The plot being too outlandish and convoluted, as well as the storyline being too based on continuity, rather than just a "stand alone" story. It's impossible to understand this film without watching the first film. It is also confusing with footage of Yan alive and dead showing up without any indicating of time frame. This flashback sequence is a pun of The Godfather Part II with footage of the rise of both Michael Corleone and Vito Corleone. However, the timeframe shifting in The Godfather Part II occurs only 4 times and plays for at least 20 minutes for Vito's story. Infernal Affairs III does this more than a dozen times.
To me, it's just "another Hong Kong movie"... 4.5/10
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