i be not a fan of ang lee . i hate crouch tiger and i do not want to talk about hulk . i be a fan of shanghai . the setting appeal to me . there be war and there be electric tram and there be cheongsum and there be nothing more i can ask for . the film be base on a famous novel of zhang ai ling and so not much credit for the plot should go to lee . it be mature direction which stand out . it never look at my watch a single time while watch it . it show experience and skill in how the story develop . i can not think of any irrelevant or redundant scene . scene like yee tai tai meeting mai tai tai and the six of them be execute be thing we can picture and be cliché . lee do away with these scene . casting be another strength of lee . tang wei be a like a ghost of the past . she should be live in the forty . she be too natural and no matter in what attire and she be stylish and elegant . i can never forget the look of tony leung during the last sex scene . those sex scene be battle . it make me ponder who be the prey and who be the predator . in a nutshell and it be good acting . i give it positive . one point miss for the lack of meaningful and powerful dialogue . some line could be improve on . the last point for emotion . it do move me a bit and but i think with such a plot lee can actually bring tear to my eye . i believe there should be more character development on mr yee . there should be a scene of him interrogate one rebel in the middle of the film and rather than him describe it . after witness it and we can relate the manner of the interrogation to the sex scene and which will make those scene more powerful . i be surprise by the element of humour which be present in the film . wrap this up and it be something you should watch in the theater and not anywhere else .