Lust, Caution

Ratting : 3/5
I resent that this movie is marketed as an "espionage thriller", or that it's a thematic follow- up to Brokeback Mountain, or that it got an R rating for its graphic sex scenes. It is much more than that. It is a film set in Asia, by an Asian filmmaker, with a special resonance for Asian moviegoers.

I think this is a very personal film for Ang Lee - betraying his private thoughts on his homeland, on sexuality, on truth, on love.Mr Lee raises unearths some complex emotions towards identity and truth, as revealed in only the most intimate moments between illicit lovers in times of extreme duress.

That Lee chose to make such a film after his phenomenal success in Hollywood, and during this period of phenomenal progress for modern China, gives Lust Caution a heightened sense of relevance and urgency, a film that can potentially invite questions on what it deeply means to be Chinese, to be Asian.

Tang's acting, and of course, the intense sex scenes that powerfully depicted lust, no holds barred, with anger, frustration, hate, and all the other negative emotions associated with it. Interestingly enough, the only moment in the movie where both Leung and Tang's characters felt a mutual love was not in bed, but in the Japanese brothel when Tang performed a song for Leung.

All in all this was a delicate and exquisite movie that was carefully planned and filmed, with attention to every detail. It offers a profound and in depth examination of lust.

Nine Queens

Rating : 4/5
This is a great film, one of the best non-American movie that I've seen. It has everything that you can expect from this kind of movies, action, suspense, and humor. It's so well performed and directed that it's just perfect.

This is one of the best whodunit's in years! The acting is great, and cleverly staged. Each individual adds more and more complexity to the storyline such that you can't discount whether or not they're crucial to the plot. The plot interweaves slowly, but evenly, adding layer on layer of innuendo, suggestion, twists, and turns that catch you off guard. No one character, or actor for that matter, overtakes any of the others. I don't think you'll get this consistency, unless Mamet directs. The downtown realism of Buenos Aires only adds to the story. It's not a shoot location we're used to seeing, and the novel setting creates an odd contrast to what we've seen come out of modern Europe. The action is well-paced, with a steady guessing, and wondering-what's-gonna-happen-next pace. I highly recommend seeing this movie