Rating: 
Summary: a successful advertisement
Review: infernal affairs is striking in that it is first and foremost a showcase of production values and top talent. while there story, setting, themes, and characters, none of those are as central to the purpose of these productions as the production itself. at no point in the process of watching these films does one not realise that one is watching production values. somewhat like watching old mgm films, which is why they themselves are advertisements for their own hollywood re-make.
i do not doubt that scorsese chose to re-make this film because it is a familiar theme, and andy lau's natural swagger parallels that of leonardo dicaprio. i do think that the biggest reason he chose this particular project is because it has everything that makes up a film except traces of subjectivity, attempts at illustration of the produced reality, colour. those are scorsese's focus *and* forte.
i don't know if non-indiginous viewers understand this, but the hong kong film industry currently has a *very* strong focus on exporting their talent and products to hollywood. with infernal affairs, it shows that they have figured out how to successfully advertise to hollywood: by embedding a blaring element of lack in an otherwise meticulously produced piece.
Rating:
Summary: Intense, Intriguing, and Explosive Thriller!
Review: Infernal Affairs, a high-speed thriller delivered on a bed of explosives that is ready to go off, takes place in fast-paced modern Hong Kong where two cultures, the Chinese and the previous Royal British Colony, are fused into a complex mix that attracts and repels each other simultaneously. This dance between the cultures is noticeable in the daily jargon and architecture, yet the clear distinction between the cultures can be heard in the music and social values often based on proverbial lessons taught from ancient stories. In the middle of this culture clash there is another fierce conflict between the Triads and the police force's organized crime unit. These two elements, legal and illegal, represent the new and old as the Triads attempt to stay in power through financial control of Hong Kong by extortion, trafficking, and other criminal activities, which they slowly attempt to decriminalize through organizing their criminal activities.The police force plants a mole, the sharp Yan (Tony Leung), within the criminal world in order to find a way to stop the organized crime. Yan is dedicated to his calling as he wants to serve the public for a better future, but he often questions his decision as he is forced to live with an alter ego. Nonetheless, Yan continues to fight the crime from within the dragon's nest. Triads use the same methods as the police force as they also have planted a mole within the organized crime unit that can tip them of any possible raids. Ming (Andy Lau), a spirited and driven police officer, is Yan's counterpart as he attempts to snoop out from within what the organized crime unit is planning. The struggle for Hong Kong leads Yan and Ming into a cerebral complex maze of traps and dangers controlled by both the police and the Triads as they both attempt to unveil the true identity of the moles. Wai Keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak direct a visually stunning film that is brought to life by an excellent cast. The editing in Infernal Affairs is brilliant as it creates a highly stressful atmosphere where time becomes distorted and sweat pearls on the audience's forehead. This stress is elevated by minute details in the script and meticulous cinematography that maximizes each situation through camera movement and focusing at the best possible time. Lighting and filters used in the camera while shooting many of the scenes enhances realistic feelings for the scenes, but it also leaves an artistic impression that focuses on the emotional moment. When all aspects of film making are put together in Infernal Affairs it leaves the audience with an exceptional cinematic experience.
Rating: 
Summary: A movie you want to tell people about!
Review: This is one of those movies you want to tell people about, coming from someone who's not really a Hong Kong film aficionado.
It has a simple but ingenious plot, first-rate acting, nice dollops of suspense and gunplay and a satisfying ending.
Simply put, a Triad boss places a young, up-and-coming gangster in the police academy to become a mole. Simultaneously, the police pull an up-and-coming cadet OUT of school, to become a Triad mole.
Ten years later, both moles still exist, and are entrusted by their respective bosses to, bluntly, find themselves.
The two scenes where the good guys and the bad guys dizzily interlace during attempted crimes are real corkers...as good as anything I've seen in years.
You can't watch this film and NOT think of Michael Mann's "Heat"...the cinematography, the urban gun fights, the two mercurial leads...and the rumors of a Scorsese remake only add to my fascination with this movie.
The thing keeping this from a five-star experience is that there are a few peripheral characters that feel like they should be more important, but they're not. There were a few characters who appear once or twice, but are all given these meaningful shots at the film's conclusion...
Maybe if I had seen more HK cinema, I would understand more...but I'll tell you, this is a great movie period, whether you think you like "foreign films" or not.
Rating:
Summary: Infernal Affair
Review: Wu Jian Dao, or Infernal Affair, tells a story of two men in a switched position between a cop and a crook. Andy Lau plays Lau Kien Ming, an informant sent to the police force by the drug dealer Hon Sum (Eric Tsang); on other hand, Tony Leung plays Chan Wing Yan, a cop sent to work undercover for Hon Sum. Catch how the two undercovers challenged each other in wits. Cool storyline to keep you watching. Watch out for part two and three of Infernal Affairs too...
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