Infernal Affairs - Andy Lau (2002) - Ten Thousand Buddha Temple, Shatin

As I draw nearer to the end of my long list of foreign movie productions that were filmed in or feature scenes in Hong Kong (I still have a wish list of about 30 titles, but getting hold of them is getting more and more difficult) I have decided to turn my attention to some of the better known productions from the local HK film industry. It's not like I haven't featured a few previously (such as here, here and here) but local films haven't been my sole focus up to now. Anyway, what better title to kick off with than one of the most famous from the last twenty years or so that spawned a couple of sequels as well as a Hollywood adaptation by Martin Scorsese.

Infernal Affairs marks the journey of two main characters, one a cop working undercover as a gangster (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) and the other as a gangster who has infiltrated the police force (Andy Lau). The story follows them both as each tries to discover the identity of the other on behalf of their respective bosses. Honestly, if you haven't seen it by now you are really missing out on one of Hong Kong's best ever films.

The story starts with the gang leader (Eric Tsang) toasting his new foot soldiers as they prepare to enrol as police cadets with Andy Lau's younger self played by (none other than "Mr Dodgy Laptop Photos" himself) Edison Chen. The location will be familiar to most people because it is the famous and popular tourist location, the Ten Thousand Buddha Temple.