Glossy new crime epic The Goldfinger marks the long-awaited reunion of Infernal Affairs stars, Tony Leung (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings) and Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers), who’s original 2002 thriller became a worldwide hit, gave way to a prequel and sequel, and conceived Martin Scorsese’s Oscar winning remake, The Departed. But the original title remains the superior film for many.
With Leung and Lau back with their Infernal Affairs co-writer Felix Chong (now also a director in his own right), the film is inspired by true events and set during the 1970’s and 1980’s, with the rise and fall of a multi-billion-dollar company and its chairman who undergoes an investigation led by an elite anti-corruption investigator. Showing the extreme indulgence and lavish lifestyles, leading to the inevitable rise and fall, the film has already been compared to Scorsese’s own The Wolf of Wall Street.
Speaking recently for the launch of the film in UK and Irish cinemas, the two stars opened up about this latest collaboration and why a reunion took so long.
Andy Lau confesses, “Waiting for the right script is one of the reasons. Actors and actresses are more passive, we are waiting for the right script, right director, a right opportunity to put us together, to make it happen. I always long for working with Tony, but it is based on chance.”
Echoing this sentiment, Tony Leung added, “Sometimes it is not for us to plan… we can only wait for the right opportunity!”
And how does this pairing differ from the last one? Leung explains, “We have got more mature over the years and have gained more life experience and acting experience, and we improved. Hence, compared with Infernal Affairs, our collaboration (in this film) is more mature.”
As colleagues in a busy industry, they first went through the TVB network training course together, which launched the careers of many popular film and television stars. Andy Lau recalls, “We had similar experiences and we could feel what each other feels. The chemistry or understanding between us is based on our trust.”
Leung and Lau have always been praised for their onscreen chemistry, and The Goldfinger is no different, with crackling energy on display between the flashy tycoon and the calm, collected investigator building a case against him. Describing this energy, since first collaborating on TV 40 years ago, Tony Leung says: “Our chemistry was built during these collaborations. We are friends but we didn’t have many chances to see each other. The rapport is all built up from making films together.”
Being veterans of the movie industry, both stars have worked with major filmmakers on some of the most influential films of their kind, across many different genres. Leung confesses, “I am lucky to be able to work with different teams and I was able to learn something new each time, to improve my acting.”
And with The Goldfinger’s throwback story of the Hong Kong financial market during the 1980’s, he adds “Recently, there are more Hong Kong films about what is happening there, and can resonate with audiences, more local stories. Financial crime is a universal topic. This can happen in any country, it’s interesting to everyone.”
Trinity CineAsia presents The Goldfinger in UK and Irish cinemas 5 January and tickets are available to book here.
