Viewed in
2005
Premise
The mob sends a mole into the police force, while the police send an undercover agent into the mob.
Who should watch
Tony Leung and Andy Lau fans. Those who want to know where 'The Departed' originated from.
Thoughts
Very exciting and enjoyable film. The acting by Tony Leung and Andy Lau were well done. Like most double-agent movies, it was confusing at times. But I think that was the point, because everyone has a breaking point before fact and fiction blur. There was lots of close calls, plot twists, and nail-biting scenes of suspense. My favorite is the first time the mole and undercover cop talk to each other for the first time.
The story was so good 'The Departed' knew not to mess with the premise, plot twists or the ending. Unfortunately, this means depending on the order you saw the films, the second one will never be as satisfying as the first you saw. The main difference, other than the setting, was that 'The Departed' made room for some very funny minor characters and dialogue, while 'Infernal Affairs' kept it lean and mean.
Personally, I slightly liked this version better than the remake. But that might be because this came out first, and it had cool Asian actors.
What I would change
Nothing.
