Reviews and stuff

This past Thursday I went with some friends from Chinese class to see Ang Lee's new movie, Lust Caution, based on a short story by Zhang Ailing (who, incidentally, my Chinese professor adores and used to work with). The movie is actually rated NC-17 for pretty explicit sex scenes, and Ang Lee refused to edit the movie in order to get an R rating, but I think for American audiences they actually did trim 7 or so minutes of sex. Needless to say, we were bracing ourselves for an interesting experience.

But actually, the majority of the movie had nothing to do with sex. The story follows this young girl who wants to be an actress, but she ends up using her acting skills to seduce this man working for the Japanese government during the 1940's in Japanese occupied Shanghai. Basically her friends force her into this position, because they're nationalists working to restore a Chinese government. The film moves pretty slowly, following them from Hong Kong to Shanghai, and last about 2 1/2 hours.

So I thought the movie was pretty good. I definitely got a feel for Shanghai during the 1940's, which was probably the strangest place on earth. There were all these white people there! And Indian jewelry stores! There was also good acting (Tony Leung was a very convincing evil dude, and Kuang (right), the unrequited love interest, was also intense in a different way). But I didn't like the ending (don't worry, I won't spoil it for you) and I thought it funny that in the story, Zhang Ailing never went into the sex scenes explicitly, but Ang Lee felt it necessary to have them. Probably the movie could have worked without them, or at least without so much of them. Still, it was well done. (Much better than In the Mood for Love, in which nothing happened or maybe I just had no idea what was going on).

Book review: I picked up Stephen Colbert's I am America at Barnes and Noble the other day and read the first couple chapters. Now I want to read more! Too bad I have no time/library to rent the book from. I want to read the chapters on immigration and race. Actually, the book is set up kinda like Jon Stewart's book, with pictures and side comments, whereas I was expecting it to be an actual memoir or something. But I like how it is, it's a much faster read.

And now, about TV.... I'm pretty disappointed in my shows so far this fall. I'm not even watching Grey's anymore, in case anyone was wondering. Nor am I watching America's Next Top Model, cuz that just seems more ridiculous each season and I can't take it anymore. I've pretty much only been watching Heroes and House when they're actually on... I'll watch Weeds or Entourage online sometimes, and now I'm getting into 30 Rock. I'm planning to watch Scrubs whenever it comes back on, and I'm also looking forward to Project Runway. Oh and of course I watch the Daily Show online to get my news. But really, really? I feel like I used to have so many more good shows to look forward too. Even House and Heroes aren't impressing me that much this season. What is going on, TV writers? Are you trying to tell me to stop wasting my time with the tube and do something more meaningful with my life, like hw?? Pish posh. I'd rather have something entertaining to look forward to for one hour a night, ok?

Anyway, so those are my rants. Now I really gotta clean up this apartment of ours. So little space, yet such a big mess after one week. What gives?