kosmasp But that doesn't take too much away from the "entertainment". At least not in my eyes. Of course as with the Infernal Affairs movies, this isn't so much about the action, as it is about the drama and the relationships between the characters. And if you have some of the finest (as is the case here), than nothing can go wrong. And although it's apparent from very early on, who did what, that doesn't take anything away from the movie.Quite the contrary! Even it wasn't revealed in the movie, you would've guessed it. So by showing it, the movie tells you that it won't play any "twist" game with you. And you can enjoy the performances and the nice story as it unfolds.

jal4eva This film has one of the best scripts I've watched in mystery/thriller films. Some people might say that by revealing the murderer from the start is a mistake in scriptwriting, but I think this is handled very well by Confession of Pain because it is not the murderer that matters, it's more of the reasons and motives, and the feelings and emotions of the murderer that intrigues the audience. Besides, without the revelation of the murderer's identity, it is difficult to continue with this script.The main draw of this film is the inclusion of two protagonists, each with a background story of their own. Had this film been one which only reveals the murderer at the end of the film, this would have become a film with only one protagonist and Hei would become an antagonist rather than a protagonist.In terms of acting, I must say that Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro are at their very best. Not just their individual acting skills, but their rapport as a whole, doubled their individual acting. Kudos to Takeshi Kaneshiro whom I think stole much of the limelight from multiple award winning actor Tony Leung. In Confession of Pain, Tony Leung's character was one which most hid his emotions and feelings inside him and enforced a disguised image which although was convincing, was too convincing compared to the emotionally complex Takeshi Kaneshiro's character.Also of notable mention are the cinematography and editing of the film. I like the contrasts of the close ups of the characters and the long shots of the characters in contrast to the backgrounds. The editing was also very interesting, especially the part which Bong was on the trail of the murderer while Hei was on the trail of the stalker. That parallel editing doubled the suspense factor. In all the film was paced quite nicely without the feeling of any part being draggy nor too quick. The weaving in of black and white sequences also contrasts well with the general flow of story.I'd think this film is considerable the best Hong Kong film of 2006. At least it is better than the pompous period films like The Banquet and The Curse of the Golden Flower, and the likes of those.

DICK STEEL Confession of Pain is draped in deep melancholy. From story to cinematography, one cannot escape the strong moodiness painted by the creative trio of directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, and together with writer Felix Chong, this movie is widely anticipated as the one which will top their earlier acclaimed creation, Infernal Affairs. And signs were positive too, as they had snagged great leads in Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro.But unfortunately, the strengths and chemistry between the two leads are what lifted the movie from mediocrity. Both Leung and Kaneshiro again play cop roles in the same movie (the other being Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express as lowly beat cops 663 and 223), and in the prologue, we're introduced to their close friendship, as well as a bust which set the tone for the movie, and added a shade of grey to one of their characters.We know Kaneshiro can do intense. His recent roles in Perhaps Love as the obsessive, driven lover boy, and House of Flying Daggers' bewildered constable Jin, are nothing short of being spirited. Here, his Bong character looked somewhat similar to Aaron Kwok's role in Divergence, as the cop who's turning to the bottle in seeking solace for love lost, and the perennial quest to uncover the Whys to his past relationship. Tony Leung, well, we all know what he can do, and he doesn't disappoint. His role as Detective Hei brings about a duality of sorts, and he delivers this dilemma perfectly. The two men, while best friends, are almost in complete opposites from one another in character, yet their bond is strong, up until the final scene, which probably explains the title.It's surprising that the story decided to show its hand midway in the movie. While it doesn't exactly provide any definitive answers, by planting that seed of thought in you during its presentation, it locks your thoughts in and doesn't allow them to wriggle free. You're left wondering why, the rationale behind the actions, as well as the filmmakers' deliberate lack of effort of hiding the truth/ Bong's character will bring you on that journey of discovery. however, audiences who have consumed their fair share of crime stories, will find it a no- brainer connecting the dots themselves when the clues are presented.Which is a pity, because everything turned predictable thereafter, narratively. However, stylistically, it is what assisted in keeping the attention on screen. The cinematography is brilliant, capturing moody loss and melancholy effortlessly in its never ending night shots of the cloudy city, unappealing streets, and empty apartments, and the effects enhanced crime recreation probably is one of the best I've seen coming out from Hong Kong. The pacing is kept tight, and a pursuit of a villain on foot was reminiscent of David Fincher's Seven where John Doe gave our detectives a run for their money.The supporting characters had little to do, and I find it difficult to try and think up reasons for their roles besides being there for our leads' interaction. Shu Qi is largely wasted in her role as a beer maid and romantic interesting for Bong, and Chapman To, an Andrew Lau and Alan Mak film regular, finds himself as a fellow cop in yet another role for comedic effect, in trying to lighten up moods whenever Bong and Hei begin to wallow. Xu Jinglei as Susan, Hei's wife, also had fairly little to do except to love her husband, and to show pain when things had to go the way they did.Decorated with a great soundtrack, Confession of Pain is an adequately engaging story of friendship, loss, and the sacrifices one makes in achieving one's goals. The truth is always never easy to swallow, and discovery it seems, would be just as painful as the outcome.

endlessdes Confession of Pain Much like the acclaim Infernal Affair, however, this is less the drama and suspense. Tony Leung is detective Hei for the Hong Kong police force, Homicide department, and Takeshi (as Bong) is his colleague. The film begins with a routine investigation of a homicide case, trailing a suspect that is involved in a serial raping case. After the suspect hops in a taxi with a female companion from a bar during a Christmas celebration, the audience is able to enjoy an excellent choreography of car tailing, with careful art direction of scene shots.The heartbreaker occurs after the crime investigation, with Bong returning home in the morning and finds his girlfriend asleep in bed. At the start of the film, Bong had a causal conversation with Hei about the stale relationship – mostly due to his insensitivity, unable to feel the passion to love his beloved. After some reflection, he steals a kiss and was horrific by her cold lips. Upon turning over the bed covers, he was shocked to find her wrists, both slash. The next scene jumps to the hospital when he realized his love was gone forever.The film fast-forward three years to 2006, where Bong had left the police force, striking out on his own as a private investigator, and also an alcoholic. Hei remains good friends with Bong, meeting up occasionally, and is married to Susan. Bong is still brooding over the lost of his love, drowning his pain through the many glasses of hard liquor – which he once detested – and conducting his own investigation on the motive of his love's suicide.Suddenly, there is a twist in the story; shown in black and white, as of a surveillance camera, the act of a gruesome crime perpetuated by Hei – the murder of his father-in-law and his lackey. This was perhaps the act revealed to the audience, informing us of who is the villain, what remains, is the motive. Normal transmission resumes to the aftermath of the crime, with Susan in the police station assisting in the investigation. Susan was emotionless by the whole episode, perhaps due to her past misgivings towards her father, but suspected otherwise – when the investigation reveals two burglars ransacking her father's mansion – that there might be more than what the evidence shows. Because Hei was considered a suspect – Susan's father was a tycoon – and could not be in-charge of further investigation, Susan took the initiative and request Bong to conduct a private investigation, with the police assisting with archives of data.So the remaining part of the film reveals the cat and mouse game between Hei and Bong. The former covering his tracks, the latter revealing the motive of the unknown suspect.The pace seems to slow off by then, and with the villain shown at the start of it, only the element of motive – why did Hei commit such a crime – keeps the audience going. Cause and effect. Confession of Pain is an expression of pain felt by Hei and Bong; like Bong, his succumb to liquor to nullify the pain over his lost love, and the relentless pursuit for the truth of her death; like Hei, though the cold blooded murder of his father-in-law, his actions of deliberate precision carries much weighted thoughts and emotional pain, masked forever in him, barely revealed. The confession comes at the end, through each realization of the life each has, rather than wallowing in pain brought by memories of the past, the only path out of the vicious cycle is to look forward in life. Alas, only one of them can come out of it.Director Wai Keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak did a nice screenplay, but it was not as suspenseful as Infernal Affair, there seems to be some element missing, which slips my mind. Moreover, Tony Leung was quite deadpan throughout the film, and that leaves out his trademark charisma. Pity. The role should have been given to Andy Lau instead, and Tony could take over Takeshi's role – not to discredit his acting, but it would be nice to see Andy and Tony tag team again since their last collaboration in Infernal Affairs.Ah, the missing element – there is not a strong supporting role in the film to disperse the weight of the main actors.