Plot
A story between a mole in the police department and an undercover cop. Their objectives are the same: to find out who is the mole, and who is the cop.
Release Year: 2002
Rating: 8.1/10 (46,996 voted)
Critic's Score: 75/100
Director:
Wai-keung Lau
Stars: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
Storyline Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan and Inspector Lau Kin Ming, respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst.
Writers: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Cast: Andy Lau
-
Inspector Lau Kin Ming
Tony Leung Chiu Wai
-
Chen Wing Yan
(as Tony Leung)
Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
-
SP Wong Chi Shing
(as Anthony Wong)
Eric Tsang
-
Hon Sam
Kelly Chen
-
Dr. Lee Sum Yee
Sammi Cheng
-
Mary
Edison Chen
-
Young Lau Kin Ming
Shawn Yue
-
Young Chan Wing Yan
Elva Hsiao
-
May
Chapman To
-
Tsui Wai-keung
Ka Tung Lam
-
Inspector B
(as Lam Ka Tung)
Ting Yip Ng
-
Inspector Cheung
(as Ng Ting Yip)
Dion Lam
-
Del Piero
Chi Keung Wan
-
Officer Leung
(as Wan Chi Keung)
Hui Kam Fung
-
Cadet School Principal
Opening Weekend: $22,634
(Finland)
(16 October 2003)
(5 Screens)
Gross: $169,659
(USA)
Technical Specs
Runtime:|
Hong Kong:
(director's cut)
Did You Know?
Trivia:
When referencing this film as the inspiration for the Best Picture-winning
The Departed, the announcer at the 79th Academy Awards mistakenly identified the Hong Kong production as Japanese.
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible:
Wires can clearly be seen on the windshield when SP Wong lands on the taxi.
Quotes: Lau Kin Ming:
Do all undercover cops like rooftops? Chan Wing Yan:
Unlike you, I'm not afraid of light.
User Review
It has changed my expectation on crime drama forever
Rating: 10/10
This movie has been regarded as the cream of Hong Kong gangster and cop
movie. And has won 22 awards. But we all know awards don't mean a thing
sometimes. The God Father of America cinema "Martin Scorsese" himself
is making a American version of the movie, titled: Departed. I'm
somewhat happy to see that this movie is being recognized and
acknowledged by a true master, but distraught to the possibility of
disappointment.
A little history of Hong Kong film industry, being in somewhat
government free state for over 100 years, Hong Kong movie industry
proliferated to the state of hysteria. On one hand, everything goes as
long as people get what they want for 2 hours worth. On the other hand,
lack of political drama has afforded the gangster and cop drama to
truly grow and mature.
Now back to the movie itself. 3 years ago, when I was still a poor
student, I was loitering in the local Chinese video store as usual,
looking for something exciting. The owner handed me a VHS copy of this
movie, he personally recommended it and said it's new and unique. So I
went home and watched it immediately. And then I said in my then dark
and dingy apartment for 30 minutes, in utter silence.
There was no plot twist, and no surprise ending, no Mr. M Night's heavy
handed gimmicks and Hollywood's camera tricks. But from the beginning
to the end, for full 2 hours, you can cut the tension with a knife. In
the end, you still don't want it to end. The story goes on in your
mind, questions, bits and pieces start to put together, characters
start to take shape even after the movie ended.
In my entire life, I've never seen a movie that there isn't a single
excessive frame, until I saw this movie. It has forever changed my
expectation on crime drama.
The story is genius and simple enough. A mole in police department
working against an undercover cop in drug trafficking mafia. They don't
know each other's identity, so it is like a invisible tug war between
the two competing against each other's wits. I won't reveal too much of
it even though like I said, there's no plot twist.
It's a fairly popular movie that has generated huge buzz when it came
out, and since been talked, compared and still highly regarded as
unsurpassed by countless fans worldwide. It has an all star cast in
Hong Kong cinema, and of course, the screenplay, the acting, the
editing, the camera work and overall directing is flawless judging by
all standards.
If you are adventurous enough to try even one Hong Kong movie, try this
one.
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