Movie Review: Lust, Caution (2008) (Ang Lee)
Ever heard of an espionage thriller that thrived on the beauty of its slow-paced narrative? Sounds oxymoronic? Here it is! Only Ang Lee, THE director extraordinaire could have taken a short story and made it into the kind of engrossing tale of epic proportions this movie turns out to be. (Remember Brokeback Mountain?)
In a league of its own, the sheer captivating power of its screenplay, language barriers notwithstanding,leaves the viewer gasping for more. The theme is unique in mainstream movies (correct me if I am wrong!) – dynamics of passions (read lust) running wild amidst war, an uncharted territory depicted with a keen eye to meticulous detail, without glossing over the dreary aspects of human survival while duly rising above the banality of the quotidian.
A group of amateurish students buoyed by patriotic fervour during WWII, scheme to assassinate a high ranking Chinese official who is collaborating with the Japanese. The emotional tribulations of the female lead in the precarious mission to execute their plans by way of the transformation of her naivety to wanton resourcefulness forms the crux of the movie. In effect, this movie subtly brings into focus the way lives revolve around basic instincts; that everything else ends up being a naught when faced with a Sophie’s Choice, the choices here being the fight for a pragmatic cause and the fight to resist the trappings of responses to sensual stimuli when discovering them for the first time.
Take away Gustavo Santaollala’s heart breaking melody in BBM or Alexander Desplat’s soothing style of a former period in this drama, and you have half the soul gone from these master pieces. Such magnificent composition!! The slick cinematography quite credulously recreates the magic of the Asian world-war era. Assisted by dexterous editing that handles the ineluctable abruptness of the many frames, the movie stands as another ode to the directorial éclat of Ang Lee. Needless to say, he brings out the best in the lead actors, who are wholly convincing in their portrayals.
The only complaint is the subtitling effect that is exacting on the viewer at times. However, there is an understated quality of pathos and savoir-vivre to the movie whose confounding climax would continue to haunt for long.
In a league of its own, the sheer captivating power of its screenplay, language barriers notwithstanding,leaves the viewer gasping for more. The theme is unique in mainstream movies (correct me if I am wrong!) – dynamics of passions (read lust) running wild amidst war, an uncharted territory depicted with a keen eye to meticulous detail, without glossing over the dreary aspects of human survival while duly rising above the banality of the quotidian.
A group of amateurish students buoyed by patriotic fervour during WWII, scheme to assassinate a high ranking Chinese official who is collaborating with the Japanese. The emotional tribulations of the female lead in the precarious mission to execute their plans by way of the transformation of her naivety to wanton resourcefulness forms the crux of the movie. In effect, this movie subtly brings into focus the way lives revolve around basic instincts; that everything else ends up being a naught when faced with a Sophie’s Choice, the choices here being the fight for a pragmatic cause and the fight to resist the trappings of responses to sensual stimuli when discovering them for the first time.
Take away Gustavo Santaollala’s heart breaking melody in BBM or Alexander Desplat’s soothing style of a former period in this drama, and you have half the soul gone from these master pieces. Such magnificent composition!! The slick cinematography quite credulously recreates the magic of the Asian world-war era. Assisted by dexterous editing that handles the ineluctable abruptness of the many frames, the movie stands as another ode to the directorial éclat of Ang Lee. Needless to say, he brings out the best in the lead actors, who are wholly convincing in their portrayals.
The only complaint is the subtitling effect that is exacting on the viewer at times. However, there is an understated quality of pathos and savoir-vivre to the movie whose confounding climax would continue to haunt for long.
posted by VVV @ 9:55 AM
0 comments
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home