Rating: R
Genre:
Crime
Theatrical Release: 12/12/2002(Hong
Release Date: 12/07/2004
SubTitles: English/Espanol
Dubbed: English/Cantonese
Sound: DD5.1
Run Time: 101 Minutes
Flags: Violence
Distributor/Studio: Miramax
As
Infernal Affairs opens,
Ming (
Andy Lau of
Full-time Killer) is being initiated into the criminal underworld by triad boss
Sam (
Eric Tsang of
The Accidental Spy), who ends his speech to his young charges by wishing them success in the police department.
Ming enters the police academy, where he excels, but sees his classmate,
Yan (
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai of
In the Mood for Love), expelled for "breaking the rules." It turns out that
Yan wasn't actually drummed out of the force, but recruited by
Superintendent Wong (
Anthony Wong of
Hard-Boiled) as an undercover operative. Just as
Ming is achieving success in the police department while secretly working for
Sam,
Ming is gaining
Sam's trust as a triad member, while reporting to
Wong. Ten years later, both men, still undercover, have grown confused about their true identities, while their bosses,
Sam and
Wong, wage a battle of wits against each other. Each boss learns that the other has a mole working for him, and unwittingly entrusts the mole himself to ferret out the culprit.
Ming and
Yan scramble to expose one another's identity in an effort to save their own skins.
Infernal Affairs was co-directed by
Andrew Lau (who worked as a cinematographer on several of
Wong Kar-Wai's films) and
Alan Mak. Renowned cinematographer
Christopher Doyle served as "Visual Consultant." The film was shown at
New Directors/New Films in 2003.
~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide