As for the story itself...it's difficult to review, because its twists and turns are best discovered on their own. While billed as an espionage tale--and it essentially is, especially at the beginning when Wong and her naive group of college theater friends decide to take it upon themselves to assassinate Yee--Lust, Caution is at its heart a type of love story, as seen through a broken mirror. There are plenty of both aspects of the main title to go around: "Mak" and Mrs. Yee become close friends, so much so that the elder woman allows her to stay in their home. Yet Mak must eventually deliver Mr. Yee to her comrades, and so the mission comes first in spite of all friendship. Yee himself is a ruthless man, who takes an almost evil glee in all aspects of hunting down, capturing, torturing and ultimately executing resistance fighters whenever possible. His marriage is a loveless one, and while Mak's irresistible beauty draws him in, he must remain cautious and try not to let his guard down, for his own safety's sake. And once the relation-ship between Yee and Mak is finally consummated, it's a very brutal, dirty affair; Yee is into Domination and Submission, treating Mak more like a whore or property than a lover, even though it's evident that he is falling in love, in spite of himself. The first "love" scene is beautifully shot by cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto(Brokeback Mountain, Babel) and well-choreographed by Lee, yet it still remains an ugly thing at its most base level, and the effect makes one feel like a voyeur... although it is by no means a train wreck, looking away from it simply isn't an option. Like most of Ang Lee's films, Lust is full of double meaning in almost every scene, and this first one in particular has a significant amount, based on Mak's reaction at the conclusion of the sex, and what has gone before in an earlier scene where she loses her virginity to someone she didn't want to give it to.

     Without a doubt, the ending of the film will piss off a great many people. It certainly did with me, although unlike the supremely disap-pointing last quarter of No Country For Old Men, Lust's ending strangely doesn't betray the story, because it feels real. It is honest storytelling in cinema--what Ang Lee does best--and it is a rare thing indeed these days. The film doesn't follow the standard formula which an American made picture in the same genre likely would, and like Zhang Ziyi from Crouching Tiger, it positions Tang Wei to break out into superstardom. There is also a sublimely beautiful moment in the film wherein Wei's Mak sings a tender song of love, loss and hope to her lover/would-be victim. It's a truly lovely instance, and could inspire me to begin listening to Chinese music with the same fervency with which I've paid attention to Japanese music recently.

     Sadly, the DVD extras for Lust, Caution are virtually nonexistent. With all the detail Universal and Focus Features could have gone into, we have bestowed upon us only one behind-the-scenes featurette. It showcases the standard "What a great crew/director, we all love each other, mwah, mwah!" You'll learn a little bit about the superb Chinese leads who fill out the film, and not much else. Stick with the movie.

     I'm glad to say that Lust, Caution is a film which definitely belongs on your shelf alongside your favorite DVDs. It's nice to see Ang Lee back in form again, and while I can't wait to see Tang Wei in her next feature, I have to state for the record that conversely, I hope that with all her talent, she stays in China, so that she doesn't become spoiled by the current vacuousness of American cinema.

     If it's successful enough on DVD, Lust, Caution could make her a household name...yet she will need ample supplies of the latter if she decides to mix it up with the Hollywood sharks over here.