2. Infernal Affairs
Famously remade by Martin Scorsese into the Oscar winning The Departed, Infernal Affairs is an altogether more intense and unnerving affair than Scorsese's picture. The concept is simple yet so effective - a police mole in the Triads and a Triad mole within the police force and they both race to discover one another. A formulaic thriller this could so easily be, but strong and emotive performances by Tony Leung and Andy Lau make this captivating as both men suffer existential struggles as their conflicted identities begin to tear them apart. Leung in particular is hugely sympathetic as the police mole within the Triads, and reaffirms his position as one of the greatest living actors. The film twists and turns, shocking and surprising constantly, and *THAT* elevator scene gets more disheartening on every viewing. The brilliance in the film is in its subtlety and highly emotional performances meaning that the slick action scenes are a bonus that elevates the picture to a lofty status. Since The Departed received great commercial and critical success, more people have gone and watched Infernal Affairs and realised that it is a far superior film, largely due to its realism, grounded performances and compelling concept that is ingrained in the oldest theme of them all - identity.