Lust, Caution

This review comes with some fairly strong warnings. I call them "List, Caution".

Do not watch this movie if you have adverse reactions to any of the following items:

Subtitles - this movie is in either Mandarin or French. Subtitles are in English. The actors speak very fast and the subtitles keep up with them.

NC-17 Ratings - this movie has a few very graphic sex scenes which I'm surprised made it as low as NC-17. Some of the scenes are rather violent and not for every one.

Rich versus poor plot lines - this movie is set in World War II Shanghai China as Japan is making moves against Asia. It is very much about haves and have-nots.

Unhappy endings - there I spoiled it, but you have NO idea what I'm talking about, nor do you see it coming (unless you have actually seen the film and then it does not matter).

Having said all that, I CAN recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys good movie-making.

Chinese Director Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility and Brokeback Mountain) does a masterful job of telling this gripping tale of greed, pride, lust, love, and betrayal. He admits this is his tribute to past generations and a cultural reminder to coming generations of China's rich history.

Unless you are a fan of Chinese cinema and arts, you will most likely not recognize any of the main actors. So, I'll spare you that list. However, you will find the hottest pop star in Asia playing one role, and China's biggest box office "good guy" playing the role of the very very bad guy. Knowing this made the movie more interesting for me. You will also find a brand new actress in her first role, Wei Tang. She was outstanding, and her English is good enough that I will not be surprised to see her more on US screens soon. I'll be disappointed if that does not happen.

Watch this movie who with someone who understands Ma Jong. It is played symbolically throughout the movie.