From the Guys who brought you Infernal Affairs...
So if you weren't hip to the fact "The Departed" was a remake of a Hong Kong thriller, sadly I fell into that group, you have a chance to see Lau & Mak's latest that will be remade by Hollywood with screenwriter Monahan and star DiCaprio and redeem yourself back to film geek coolness. I wasn't so interested in that as I am with watching everything Tony Leung has done because this guy is one of the best working actors out there today and Americans who are not checking out Hong Kong or Chinese cinema are really missing out. Confession of Pain puts Leung in a role he knows so well, police detective, and crafts a character thats takes a journey we don't see often enough in Hollywood, maybe hence the quick remake snap-up. Takeshi Kaneshiro plays well opposite Leung and with these two we follow a fairly elaborate plot but one that never tries to trick or twist us in anyway. No, instead it unfolds with stylized action, dialogue, and flashbacks focused more on the relationships of characters and demons they face. The plot is not anything new and the choice to make this less a mystery thriller and more a psycho-analytical thriller may throw some people off by the third act but for those who enjoy the acting and solid writing will find Confession of Pain a highly enjoyable thriller and just maybe one that Hollywood could actually find a way to improve upon this time around.