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Directed by: Wai-keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak

Cast: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Eric Tsang, Kelly Chen, Sammi Cheng

Runtime: 101 mins

What happens when a single performance changes the way we look at a film?

Tony Leung in my view is one of the greatest living actors we have. His range is simply marvelous. He has played everything under the sun and brought to each role something special which the western world might call fresh. This is one of the more popular roles he has played it has spelled a trilogy.

The film as such is a cop film with moles working on both sides of the law. But the fact is that the audience finds out about the two very late into the film. One of the moles works in the gang and the other works in the police. Both of them are trying to catch each other by outwitting each other. The idea of having two double agents can get very confusing if you don’t follow the movie as it comes.

There was a poor remake of this film directed by the great Martin Scorsese that won the Best Film Oscar (They never get those right). Now to tell you why this one was a wrong Oscar simple answer Scorsese didn’t see the original. This film doesn’t just deal with the criss crossing of both of the double agents. But it also has a lot of pathos and camaraderie that its remake lacks. One of the strongest points of this movie is its end. The whole ending sequence is shot in the lift the drama is left for suspense by having a shot of the lift going down. It is a beautiful scene that Martin Scorsese kills by bringing in some stark realism.

Yes this film at times suffers from star syndrome but the end of the film brings together a lot of pain that is almost unprecedented for a commercial film. But all this is brought to this film by the singular performance of Tony Leung. He is just a force in this very commercial fare. He leaves several scars gaping in the minds of the people who are left alive by the end of this movie. He makes us want to take this film seriously. Yes I got lost myself but I m sure you will too. Andy Lau brings in the style element that many of the film in this genre have and can do without. But don’t see this film after watching Departed because then you will forget Scorsese totally.

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