This concluding chapter of a duplicitous saga manages to out-complicate the first and best of the trilogy!
Sequentially, the second instalment of the story (By and Large!) brings the remaining plot lines to conclusion but will do its best to loose you along the way. Its not so much a bad film as one that will only appeal to fans of the first and does not really stand up in its own right without the original having been seen. Moving between timescales that pre-date the original as well as jumping in front of the story forming the backbone of this feature is used too often and detracts from engaging fully.
Lau appears remote at times and Tony Leung holds this together along with his smitten phsyciatrist who steals the acting show!
Its a film for fans of the original and makes a nice accompanying disc; but it should not be viewed without Infernal Affairs 1.