Confession of Pain (2006)

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The acting in this movie is really good.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

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.

A good film all round, nice cinematography, good acting.My only criticism of the film is that unlike other murder mystery / crime solving films - this one shows you the culprit from the beginning - who know who done it, so there's little by way of suspense in solving a crime.The only surprise is discovering that some of the characters aren't quite who they seem.Also you would think that an actress of Shu Qi' stature would have a more meaningful role - she just seems to be there as Takeshi's girl friend. That's it.That being said, it's a film worth worth watching.

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.