Frequent reader and tipster Tony sent me these great photos from a press conference and lavish premiere for Lust Caution in Taiwan. Seems it's getting the blockbuster push there and that 'event' status is paying off big time. Apparently its early box office receipts are even outpacing Ang Lee's own Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon. That's quite a bow for a racy 150 minute drama.
It's hard to know how the Oscar voters will react to this film. It was greeted with lots of negativity at Venice only to rebound with the Golden Lion win. Early buzz suggests that its length and its MPAA rating (NC-17) will marginalize it severely for both Oscar and American box office. But wait...
Can one can ever count Ang Lee out?
Consider: His filmography is only 10 movies long and 3 of those have been Best Picture nominees and 3 have been Foreign Film nominees (Crouching Tiger being the only double dipper). He's the only Asian to ever win Best Director and he won that for a gay romantic drama. For someone whose films are so classical in feel and leisurely paced, this man sure is full of surprises.
Consider: His filmography is only 10 movies long and 3 of those have been Best Picture nominees and 3 have been Foreign Film nominees (Crouching Tiger being the only double dipper). He's the only Asian to ever win Best Director and he won that for a gay romantic drama. For someone whose films are so classical in feel and leisurely paced, this man sure is full of surprises.
