confession of pain (2006) (original title seung sing). directed by wai keung lau and alan mak.

my thoughts after giving it a watch last friday:

i think them reviews got it wrong. the story isn't trying to be infernal affairs because it doesn't aspire to be one. cops and robbers may well be the background, but the story is about guilt, vengence, forgiveness and ultimately, the pain of hanging on to something both Bong (Kaneshiro) and Hei (Leung) had lost. only one man survived the tragedy and that is by forgiving himself and others. i like the camera work, the soundtrack, and the movie works mostly due to heavyweights like Leung, and Kaneshiro definitely pulls his bit. Shu Qi was underused eventhough the character could have been further expanded.

i went in with my sis, and we were the only non chinese viewers in the theatre. both of us immensely enjoyed Tony Leung stuff over the years, and i'm glad to have watched him on the big screen this time. and this won't be the last, i hope.

confession of pain (2006) (original title seung sing). directed by wai keung lau and alan mak.

it is a bad sign that already 2 reviews that i browsed gave this film a solid C?

this review from imdb.com seems to be the kindest amongst them all.

User Comments:

3 out of 5 people found the following comment useful:-Somehow, the wound is painful., 23 December 2006Author: samuelding85 from Singapore

Seung sing, or directly translate as City of Wounds in English, is Andre Lau and Alan Mak's latest tale of men and women living with wounds that scars their heart in modern Hong Kong.The duo, who has created Infernal Affairs trilogy, pairs Tony Leung Chiu Wai (who was the leading actor from Infernal Affairs trilogy) and Takeshi Kaneshiro, as 2 detectives working on a case where Tony's father-in-law was brutally murdered. Takeshi, who was still living in the agony of his late girlfriend's suicidal death 3 years ago, helps his best friend in investigation. The fact is, Tony murdered his father-in-law, and uses his authority and wits to cover up on what he did. Along with the 2 strong actors are Shu Qi and Xu Jinglei, a Chinese actress from China.Somehow, Confessions of Pain does not seems to be as strong as Infernal Affairs. In terms of plot and flow of storyline, it seems similar like any crime thriller. In terms of ending, it is expected.However, Confessions have its strength that makes this movie watchable. Andrew and Alan pairs Tony and Takeshi as two leading actors, where both were reunited again after Wong Kar Wai's cult classic Chungking Express (1994). Tony and Takeshi did not have any crossover in Chungking Express, thus Confessions gives the duo a chance to see if there is any chemistry reaction.The experiment works. One commits the murder for vendetta, while another believes that the law should not be taken on his own hands. The two men who has their own beliefs displays a clash of ideas, which makes them question what do they really want to achieve at the end of the day. Confessions, some how, seems to be living in the shadow of Infernal Affairs. Nevertheless, it still goes strong.Shu Qi and Xu Jinglei plays the woman whom Takeshi loves and the wife of Tony respectively. Shu Qi might be the leading actress, but it was Xu Jinglei who steals the limelight. She has given the recent films from Hong Kong a fresh look, as her filmography features her works from China, with barely little productions from Hong Kong in her resume. Fans of Shu Qi might be disappointed, as her role does not seems to be vital, though necessary in the story.Confessions of Pain might be just better than average, but at least it is better than other B-productions made in the previous years.