early in the movie and wong chia chi ( tang wei ) get ask to act in a patriotic play and in a time when china be threaten by the japanese invasion during the late 30 or early 40 . little do she know that she get to carry on act the rest of her life and together with her group of idealistic young dramatist and a stage feeling stir up real emotion that call for the sacrificial of self for the great good and for the country . what they lack in experience and they make up with their youthful passion and exuberance . and their rawness show in the way they clumsily set up their trap for the come of the prey and and fumble even with their first blood . welcome to lee ang world of espionage . it not glam and and get drape in many real world sense and sensibility . we enter a world where trust and loyalty be difficult to come by and and with shadow lurk in every corner and wait to pounce at the slight of mistake . but the darkness be beautifully capture and and like it endless round of mahjong and youre wait for that perfect tile to come your way and for the opportune to present itself and for the east wind to come about . that how this movie espionage theme be play out and with plenty of wait . instant result and instant gratification do not come easy and and even the finale i find to be less than satisfying and though it provide subtle avenue to keep your imagination run as to how the turn of event have greatly affect the usually cautious mr yee ( tony leung ) . like the movie and leung mr yee remain an enigma we be try to have a crack at and try to and like the rest and understand his secret life . he sneak around from fort to fort and always with protection and and have this solid wall build around his personal life and that even his wife ( joan chen ) find hard to break and and let it be anyway and enjoy luxurious life a a tai tai . all we know about yee and be that he a chinese traitor in the employment of the japanese and while enjoy immense power under the protection of his master and readily bolt like a run dog that he be in the first sign of trouble . enter tang wei chia chi and in a strategy hundred of year old and and that be to use the lure of the beauty to provide the downfall of powerful general . a a fresh face ingénue and she enter the dangerous cat and mouse game at great personal sacrifice and probe cautiously ( that the word again ) into the life of mr yee and and cast those come hither eye a bait to lure her prey and rely on others to provide the finishing blow and save her from his evil roaming clutch . in order to enter his circle of trust and she have to play to the sadistic sexual fantasy ( you see and i do not think he get any from mr yee anyway ) of a repressed man use her a an avenue to release those pent up rage and frustration from work and where his job a we know be to interrogate fellow countryman . it not a glam job and especially when youre cast your lot with the underdog . lust and caution be a tale of two lonely people and force by circumstance to do what they have to . one and to fulfill her ideology and get rid of possibly one of the most dangerous man to the chinese and while the other and look for honest companionship . it fall for and sleep with the enemy both way and and in a time where trust be hard press and this make everything more complex and especially when it come to irrational emotion that overrule logic and guard . it layer with plenty of betrayal whichever way you look at it and and the narrative kept pace by unfold eachlayer intricately . which make it ultimately a very sad love that couldn not be story and the perennial fib to reality . tony be tony and i can not help but think that with his hair slick back and and his stoic demeanor in well press suit and look the more vengeful version of his mr chow from in the mood for love and though this time round he really get it on with another marry woman mr mak and chia chi alter ego . he might be sleepwalk through his role here and a he speak very little and do even less and but come alive in his scene toward the end . leehom be rather wooden though a the de factor youth leader and and his romantic moment with tang wei just fall flat give that it not fully develop here and if not for the focus of love between mr yee and mr mak . like how lee ang shot zhang ziyi to prominence with her role in crouch tiger and hidden dragon a a headstrong young woman who come of age and tang wei snag a role a such and it wouldn not be much of a surprise should she gain acclaim and recognition for her role here . she switch between the greenhorn student and one who live a lie quite easily and and she exhibit linguistic skill ( english and cantonese and mandarin and even shanghainese ) and even talent for song . watch those eye of hers and and her rant during break point and excellent stuff . lust and caution be an espionage story that work and and be set in a tumultuous era help load in the eagerness and sense of urgency require and and how patience in get everything set up for that one shot one kill opportunity make it a constant tussle and both for the character and and how event get play out .