Diagonaldi Very well executed

Ploydsge just watch it!

FrogGlace In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

webmaster-3017 This is no Infernal Affairs… Confession of Pain is exactly the type of movie that is so hyped up and combining with the ever dependable Tony Leung Chiu Wai, how can it possibly go wrong. Maybe it is because Neo watched this at the cinemas on Christmas Eve and quite frankly expected something more shocking and surprising than a rehash of what is already been seen millions of time before in Hollywood movies. In that it is a disappointing achievement and when the actual substance doesn't actually strike a cord with the audience until the end, you can only feel further disappointment. From the directors of Infernal Affairs, one would expect better, but the plot goes from cliché to cliché and eventually attempts to throw in some sort of classy ending that only leaves the audience more muddled than it should be. Sure there are redeeming factors, and credit must be given to the directors for not totally going the easier route, but rather emphasis with Tony Leung's character, and the reasons behind his own internal turmoil and the conflict of his mind both in the past and present. Still, this is a wholly average attempt and the result is pretty much falling way below the hype and expectation.Tony Leung Chiu Wai is Neo's favourite actor and he is without question, HK's best dramatic actor for the past decade or so. His performance here isn't exactly top notch, but his steer presence kept the audience watching the depth of his acting abilities. This is by no means an award winning performance, but in all ways, he pulled off an immensely difficult role to some degree of success. Takeshi Kaeshiro isn't an actor with the greatest range, but can be equally convincing as seen in plenty of Wong Kar Wai's flicks. Shu Qi appears here and there and seems more annoying than sexy. With that being said, Chapman To, is fast becoming the funniest supporting actors in HK today. After his underrated comic relief in Infernal Affairs series, Initial D and Colour of Truth, his performance here is pitch perfect and provides much needed comic relief in an over wise an uncompromising movie. His comic timing has improved and the moment he appears on screen, it is already worth a giggle or two. Laughing at him or with him, Chapman To, has succeeded in drawing a smile on my face.Those expecting Infernal Affairs should really look elsewhere, as Confession of Pain is really no where near that caliber nor is it aimed at a similar genre. Yes, it is about cops and good guys and bad guys, but ultimately it is partly a love story and partly about revenge and identity. Everyone have a reason for their actions, whether it is good or bad. Directors Mak and Lau fail in every department, except for the redeeming ending and the seemingly high production values. Ultimately the film is too predictable to be a thriller, too few Chapman To, to be a comedy and far too much Shu Qi to be not annoying. With that being said, the most important element that this film lacks is the almost non-existent connection with the audience and the effect is leaving the audience muddled up and confused. All in all, Confession of Pain is really a confession from the directors to the audience about how much pain it is to director this movie. Really, some parts of the journey is painful to endure, but at least they tried…I rate it 6.75/10www.thehkneo.com

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.

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.