Old-fashioned Hollywood "Lust"

[summertime]

Old-fashioned Hollywood "Lust"

Written by Bill Higgins

Monday, 08 October 2007


HOLLYWOOD -- One indication of what a hit "Lust, Caution" has been with Asian auds was the throng of Chinese fans screaming and waving posters outside the Academy theater's Oct. 3 preem.

Granted, most of the attention was for co-star Wang Lee-Hom ("the Justin Timberlake of China," in one publicist's words) but it was also a sign of the "cultural phenomena," in Focus topper James Schamus' words, that the pic has been in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Focus would obviously like some of the Asian fervor to accompany the U.S. release, and Schamus, who also co-wrote, said, "Though the film is totally Chinese, it's actually the most old-fashioned Hollywood movie


http://www.varietyasiaonline.com/content/view/4605/

[summertime]

I just saw the film again as a regular screening in Toronto. It's playing in one theatre at the moment, but on 3 screens - 2 big and 1 small.

The screening I was aiming for was sold out. The screening I actually got into was also sold out. The audience was around 90% Asian, and I could say quite confidently, Chinese - heard lots of people speaking Mandarin/Cantonese around me. There are around 400,000 Chinese in the Greater Toronto Area.

One would think that with repeat viewings, a film would start to drag a bit, but I found that the film went by really fast.

I also just purchased "Lust, Caution - The Story, The Screenplay, and the Making of the Film". I've read the Production Notes so far, which were really interesting.