Mou gaan dou
English Title: Infernal Affairs
Mou gaan dou is a good cop drama. It is full of suspense and tension. If you like cop movies, see it. Mou gaan dou tells the stories of two undercover operatives. One, a cop infiltrating a criminal organization and the other, a member of the same criminal organization, infiltrating the police. From that setup alone, you can imagine the possibilities. I won't describe the plot because the movie tells the story very well.
What makes this movie great is the tension it creates. It does not rely on tricks or twists to create this, just basic solid film making and story telling. The performances are all solid, most Hong Kong cinema fans will recognize the main actors: Andy Lau, Tony Leung and Anthony Wong. All give fine performances.
I don't really have anything bad to say about this movie, which is rare for me, even in movies I really like. My best advice is just to go and see it.
One final note, as with any great international film, is one is being remade by Hollywood. The Departed is slated for release in October 2006. The remake has an impressive cast and Martin Scorsese directing. It makes me wish North American audiences were willing to watch the originals, so that these (usually forgettable) remakes would not be necessary.