Confession of Pain (2006)

This is a brilliant movie. It's good description of how plague the life of being at the city can be.It was ahead of it's time.The reason the rating is so low, it's because it was judge by the people at the time when Infernal Affairs was a big hit. Everyone was expecting this to be a similar film.But it's not, it wasn't meant to be anyway.It is meant to be a movie about the suffering of people from the city. The things that one would do in able to survive, or vengeful.An eye for an eye.The extreme you would do in able to achieve your goals.This is what this movie is about. Please do not let IMDb's low rating discourage you from trying this movie.Find it, give it a try, it might inspired you write similar city stories ;)My 2 cents,Chin Yew

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.

I LOVE their work on Infernal Affairs. To some extent, I do compare COP with IA but I I've debated with myself not to be unfair with my judgement - because they are quite different.Confessions of Pain is very real in nature. I am beginning to notice that many avoid stereotyping a person as a good 'cop' and a bad 'cop'. And I echo this. I don't think Tony's character is absolutely 'wrong'. Don't get me wrong as I am not suggesting that his ill-suppressed pain should be taken in the context of crime but we must 'honor his hatred' for his parents' brutal murder. I must confess that the pain (in this piece of art) can be more e.g. poignant dilemma faced when the truth is revealed about his wife's identity (yes, I am speaking in codes here because my friend spoiled the suspense of 6th Sense by revealing the ending, and I ain't want to be that culprit!).In essence, I like the movie and the cast is marvellous.

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.