Lust, Caution (B+ or 3/4 stars)
'Lust, Caution' is a seductive espionage drama directed by Ang Lee, and has the distinction of being rated NC-17 for some powerful sex scenes. Shanghai, 1942: Mrs. Mak walks into a cafe, makes a call & sits in wait. The film then flashes back to '38. This woman is not Mrs. Mak, she is, in fact, Wong (Tang Wei), a shy University student. At school, she meets an attractive drama student, Kuang. He enlists Wong in his passionate, patriotic acting company (to support the resistance in the war). A natural actress (who loves going to movies alone), Wong thinks she has found her niche. Given some inside info, Wong's troupe intricately plans to assassinate Japanese collaborator, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung). Each troupe member has a part to play, but it is Wong/Mrs. Mak who's expected to woo Yee. She'll 'get in' by making friends with his wife (who does nothing but play games of Mahjong).
Wong finds Mr. Yee to be quite mysterious. She seems to be working her magic when a sudden & unexpected event occurs that sends her fleeing from the assass. plan, and her friends. The film now jumps from '38 to '41: Japans' hold on China is strengthening. Wong is barely making ends meet. Her father has deserted her; so her life is void of any meaningful existence. Surprisingly, Kuang re-emerges & asks her to revive 'Mrs. Mak'. This time, the Chinese secret service is helping the troupe, & Wong's participation is more important than ever. She reconnects with Mrs. Yee, & aims to be Mr. Yee's mistress once more. It is here that their bizarre love story is kindled. Yee claims he can tell when someone's by looking deep into their eyes; luckily, Wong is a great actress. Oppressed by his job, Yee UNLEASHES his pent-up repression upon Wong in their 1st sexual encounter.
This scene (and 2 others) is quite visceral. They include female nudity, male genitalia, sweaty thrusting, & sodomy. Oddly, Wong is rejuvenated by this experience, and her new identity. Horrifying on many accounts, they begin to fall in love with each other. The movie jumps back to Mrs. Mak sitting in the cafe (1942). Just when the assassination attempt appears imminent, Wong/Yee's emotional connection complicates matters, and the operation is threatened. I will not divulge the heart-wrenching conclusion. I'll just say that it's wonderfully executed, but it bugged me, and still does (though, it doesn't affect my rating much). Simply put, this is a tale of 2 lonely people (forbidden lovers), forced to do something they don't really want to do (kill him, kill his fellow countrymen). Everything about their relationship is complex (keeping it secret, emotional baggage, betrayals, grim decisions).
Even though the film is long (verging on tedium at points), the erotic sex scenes left me colder than expected, & the ending disappointed me ... there are loads of positives to take away from this movie. The plot asks the protagonists to wait a lot (for an opening to strike). This 'waiting' will either be hated by those who lack patience, or used positively to immerse one's self in the story. I loved the nonverbal interaction/communication btwn. the 2 lovers. Actions speak louder than words. I loved the lush, detailed art direction of a stylized 1940's China. I liked how danger lurks around every shadowy corner. I loved the haunting musical score; it cast a spell over me. Tang Wei & Tony Leung put on brave & highly vulnerable performances as our ultimately impure characters. And so, 'Lust, Caution' isn't as unnerving as it hopes to be; the love story isn't as potent as Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain. But flaws aside, it's still a very solid film.
Wong finds Mr. Yee to be quite mysterious. She seems to be working her magic when a sudden & unexpected event occurs that sends her fleeing from the assass. plan, and her friends. The film now jumps from '38 to '41: Japans' hold on China is strengthening. Wong is barely making ends meet. Her father has deserted her; so her life is void of any meaningful existence. Surprisingly, Kuang re-emerges & asks her to revive 'Mrs. Mak'. This time, the Chinese secret service is helping the troupe, & Wong's participation is more important than ever. She reconnects with Mrs. Yee, & aims to be Mr. Yee's mistress once more. It is here that their bizarre love story is kindled. Yee claims he can tell when someone's by looking deep into their eyes; luckily, Wong is a great actress. Oppressed by his job, Yee UNLEASHES his pent-up repression upon Wong in their 1st sexual encounter.
This scene (and 2 others) is quite visceral. They include female nudity, male genitalia, sweaty thrusting, & sodomy. Oddly, Wong is rejuvenated by this experience, and her new identity. Horrifying on many accounts, they begin to fall in love with each other. The movie jumps back to Mrs. Mak sitting in the cafe (1942). Just when the assassination attempt appears imminent, Wong/Yee's emotional connection complicates matters, and the operation is threatened. I will not divulge the heart-wrenching conclusion. I'll just say that it's wonderfully executed, but it bugged me, and still does (though, it doesn't affect my rating much). Simply put, this is a tale of 2 lonely people (forbidden lovers), forced to do something they don't really want to do (kill him, kill his fellow countrymen). Everything about their relationship is complex (keeping it secret, emotional baggage, betrayals, grim decisions).
Even though the film is long (verging on tedium at points), the erotic sex scenes left me colder than expected, & the ending disappointed me ... there are loads of positives to take away from this movie. The plot asks the protagonists to wait a lot (for an opening to strike). This 'waiting' will either be hated by those who lack patience, or used positively to immerse one's self in the story. I loved the nonverbal interaction/communication btwn. the 2 lovers. Actions speak louder than words. I loved the lush, detailed art direction of a stylized 1940's China. I liked how danger lurks around every shadowy corner. I loved the haunting musical score; it cast a spell over me. Tang Wei & Tony Leung put on brave & highly vulnerable performances as our ultimately impure characters. And so, 'Lust, Caution' isn't as unnerving as it hopes to be; the love story isn't as potent as Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain. But flaws aside, it's still a very solid film.