Se, Jie

Everyone looking for a real cinematic piece should go and watch Se, Jie (Lust, Caution), the latest effort by director Ang Lee, who directed films like Brokeback Mountain and The Ice Storm, but also The Hulk, which in my opinion was a horrible piece, even though I could appreciate the direction Lee wanted to take and the story he wanted to tell. Though, in my opinion he unfortunately failed. With Se, Jie, however, he serves a beautiful piece which reminds of classic thrillers of the genre, such as Hitchcock's Notorious. It's has the flair of that period of time and is full with suspense and brilliant climatic scenes which raise the cinematic bar. Already there was much talk of the sex scenes which are situated on the edge between crossing reality and fiction. It's definitely art, but one wonders if the actors actually had real sex or not. The answer most likely is no, but some parts look very real and more than just a convincing performance. Apart from these sex scenes Se, Jie also features a very violent sequence, with a man being stabbed so ruthlessly you almost can feel it yourself. It has you on the edge of your seat as is almost the entire film, which is hold together by the terrific acting performances by both Tony Leung, and Tang Wei, who believe it or not, makes her debut. In her first role she skyrockets herself to super stardom putting herself firmly on the map. She's one to watch, giving a performance which is so layered and so well built you can't help but watch in fascination. Her character is more complex than most female characters in film and asks for a real challenge and real skills from the actress portraying her. But Tang Wei plays her as if she has years of experience. As a spectator you watch her grow from a young naive student to a determined adult woman on a mission to gain the trust of the enemy. Tony Leung playing the man who needs to be assassinated, portrays him as a cold man, who during the first time the two of them have sex, burst into a rage of anger. Gradually however, his human side comes to seep through, little by little. Both characters however stay somewhat mysteries, giving you the feeling its only them who really know their real persona and only they seem to know on which level they truly connect making them fall for each other in the end. Se, Jie is a breathtaking piece uncovering the relations between two characters who seem to be the complete opposites, but who are forced to cross paths. The camerawork is great, especially when rising up staircases, as is the music by Alexandre Desplat. After The Assassination Of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford this is the next film you really can not miss. It's true cinema carried out perfectly from start to finish. It's a work that seems very complete and finished and sticks in your head long after.