Review of Lust, Caution (2007) by Rhanda D — 15 Feb 2009
This subtle and understated period drama borrows much from classic elements of film noir and tragic romance to create an immersive treatise on passion, intrigue and the cost of both. Ang Lee does a masterful job with a complicated plot and draws forth elegant performances from the superb Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Wei Tang.
The much-discussed sex scenes are gratuitous only in their realism; your blushing will come from feeling like you're intruding, not because it's xxx-treme. The sex provides a necessary story device in the trappings of the historical period; the tiny shifts in the characters' relationship plays out in the bedroom, subtly, yet, but powerfully.
At 2+ hours and with some plot holes dodged, I wouldn't say it's a masterpiece from Ang Lee, but it is a very sophisticated, very adult bit of filmmaking that's welcome in a Hollywood world of fluff and cookie-cutter cinema.
This review of Lust, Caution (2007) was written by Rhanda D on 15 Feb 2009.
Lust, Caution has generally received positive reviews.
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