LUST, CAUTION

Synopsis from http://movies.go.com/lust-caution/d872926/thriller:
In WWII-era Shanghai, Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei) is a Chinese college student who gets involved with a drama club after meeting Kuang Yu Min (Want Leehom), a charismatic fellow classmate. While Wong is happy performing on the stage, Kuang asks her to take on a very dangerous role in real life. She is to transform herself into Mrs. Mak and make friends with the wife (Joan Chen) of a major Japanese collaborator, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung), only to ensnare him into an affair so that her Kuang and his cohorts can kill him. However, the plan fails to work out at the time, but after several years pass, Kuang re-enters Wong's life, whereupon he asks her to resume their deadly mission.

It affected me very much when i was watching it. It was beautiful, painful, frustrating and intriguing all the same time. It bordered on being draggy and limp at times, partly due to the fact that I was starving and in a dire need of food, and mainly because I felt that all the motivations and efforts of the characters are so laughable and ultimately in vain. They were invaluable pawns in the hands of others. Their entire existence had been a joke! Why make your life so miserable?

Lets talk about those naive college youths who clothed themselves in Chinese patriotic fervour and embarked on a downright silly plan. The fact that Kuang managed to rope everyone in using peer pressure and downright stupidity on everyone's part, had been extremely vexing to witness. It was mildly amusing at the beginning, but when they continued their mission in Shanghai, i simply gave up entirely on their sense of logic and reason. I suppose luxuries like logic and reason dont exist in war-times, i doubt anyone can buy them on the black-market either. When they all ended up at the quarry to be shot, i was thinking- OBIQUACK. They deserve the fruits of their folly.

Moving on to Kuang, who is the world's biggest fool. What else can I say? Wong has been waiting for forever, for him to acknowledge her affections for him and he finally kissed her a few days before their deaths. It was too late. Wow. Perfect fairytale ending. He's been a wimp about this issue and he actually allowed her to go through so much suffering when he promised she wouldnt get hurt in the mission. I wished he died a more tragic death. (FYI, Lee Hom cant act to save his life. Haha.)

Okay, so how about Wong? Shes brilliant as Mrs Mak. I just cant believe she let all of them manipulate her identity. Thats really taking 'acting' & 'theatre' too far. It was really funny watching her turn on her womanly charm on Yee in the restaurant. I'm just atonished at how she got herself into this situation. But more importantly, I pitied her for her suffering, her confusion, her longing and her desperation. This was the painful part. Including all the sadomasochistic sex scenes with Yee. I thought he would be a better lover than her friend who gave her her first love-making lesson. I was SO WRONG. Anyway, this girl's acting is superb. Shes like- acting as Wong who is acting as Mrs Mak, who is pretending to love Yee. You get my point.

So... Yee is ever so suave and gentlemanly, who can resist him!? Well, i liked the way his caution & lust was protrayed. He took subtle caution in every situation, with the exception of lusting for Mrs Mak. Tony is the man of the moment, i dont need to wax lyrical about him right. If Wong/Mrs Mak made the show beautiful to watch, Yee made the show compelling to watch. This man is an enigma! You dont know when he'll just expose Mrs Mak's secret identity. Lee Ang also used Yee to explore the idea of love. Yee's love for Mrs Mak was so thorough & deep, maybe its passion or lust or infatuation. Whatever you call it, its intensity was terrifying, and his method of expression was even more so.

FYI, I happen to disagree with those college kids when they said hes a traitor blah blah. In times of war, people have the 'either you're with me, or you're with them' mentality. Yee seemed as if hes just doing his job- being an high-level employee of the Collaboration-Japanese Government. He doesnt worship the Japanese like most 'traitors', in fact, he even mocked them in the Japanese restaurant. He knows that there is much to be gained if you are on the side currently in power. He also seems to have varying loyalties depending on the circumstances, since he had foreseen the Americans to takeover from the Japanese soon.

Overall, i love the opulent settings amidst the war time hardships. All that luxe furnishings, exquisite diamonds, lovely poreclains, manicured red painted nails, impeccable makeup, brocade cheongsams, helped bring out the essence of the 20s to 40s decadence in Shanghai and Hongkong. Great cinematography. Okay script. Brilliant acting from the Leads. Hmm... So my recommendation is--- If you can tolerate the emotional intensity, some anguish and the tortured sense of Wong's being, then please do watch it. (Extra tip: Remember to watch with a satiated tummy.)