Lust, Caution (Ang Lee, 2008)
I was going to title this review 'Me love you long time', but then I decided it was too rude. Much like this film. I am by no means a prude, but this DVD (extended from the original cinematic cut, so my friend from HK tells me) REALLY lingers on the sex scenes, all of which are intense and often violent. I can't say I didn't enjoy it, but I wonder if it was strictly necessary to see quite that much bum in a non porn film.
Anyway, that aside (and I must stress, I wasn't offended, just a little surprised) this film was everything you'd expect from Ang Lee - absorbing, beautifully shot, and re-he-he-heally long. Like, close to 3 hours long, and it ends on a bit of a ppffhh, like a damp firework.
This is sounding like a bad review, when I really don't want it to. I was captivated by this breathless, suspenseful portrayal of our heroine and her compatriots entangled in a dangerous web of lies, played out against the stunning backdrop of the rain-washed streets of Japanese-occupied China. I loved the way that layers of detail in the background and incidental characters - extras even - spark your interest when you don't expect it. Wei Tang as the female lead is tremendous, and like the camera, and all the characters, you simply can't take your eyes off her.
I can't find a tangible way in which to fault this film, I just ought to have checked the back of the box first to know by just how much I was going to miss my bed time. And how glad I'd be that I watched it without anyone else in the room. I think it's warped my hamster's fragile little mind.
Image from Xinhuanet.com - thanks
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