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Lust, Caution

Written by Nobuhiro Hosoki

 

"Lust, Caution," based on a short story by Chinese author Eileen Chang, is set in 1938, Shanghai, China where Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei) is a shy university student whose father has abandoned her while escaping Japanese-occupied China to England. A shy but radiant beauty, Wong participated in patriotic theater at her university, soon becoming the leading lady in their production.

Then she meets Kuang Yu Min (Wang Leehom, a political zealot who boldly sets up an amateur espionage troupe against the repressive society under the Japanese regime. The troupe contemplates a naive idea of shooting a man, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), who is a collaborator with the Japanese. They scheme his murder, using the sexuality of Wong as bait.

Initially, Miss Wong's task is to gain their trust, so she infiltrates Mr. Yee's family by playing Mah-jongg with his wife (Joan Chen), transforming herself into Mrs. Mak (Tang Wei), a woman of leisure. Once she befriends Mr. Yee's wife, she slowly carries out the dangerous scheme of luring him to an adulterous affair. From then on, the film is charged with steamy, explicit sex and becomes one of those captivating thrillers that challenges cinematic boundaries, even earning an NC-17 rating with its huge effect on the box office.

Director Ang Lee ventures into the surprises of sexual intimacy with visual flair and a bold approach--not in an exploitative way--and with a deliberate pacing that pays off in the end. But certain moments of excellence go to the newcomer Tang Wei who gives an astonishing performance by vividly handling her fragile identity through conflicted emotion. Tony Leung makes quiet a departure from gentle guy to ruthless villain, delivering a solid performance. In the end, the film is a cautionary tale of well-intended lust!

Directed by Ang Lee
Written by Wang Hui Ling and James Schamus
Director of photography: Rodrigo Prieto
Edited by Tim Squyres
Music by Alexandre Desplat
Production designer: Pan Lai
Produced by Bill Kong, Mr. Lee and Mr. Schamus
Released by Focus Features.
Running time: 158 minutes.

Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (Mr. Yee)
Tang Wei (Wong Chia Chi/Mak Tai Tai)
Joan Chen (Yee Tai Tai)
Wang Leehom (Kuang Yu Min),
and Anupam Kher (Jewelry Shop Manager).