Scr Hossein Amini.
John Cusack, Gong Li, Chow Yun Fat, Ken Watanabe, Franka Potente (!), Hugh Bonneville
Ph. Benoit Delhomme, Panavision
Ed. Peter Boyle, Kevin Tent
Good prod. des. Jim Clay (looks expensive)
Brutal depiction of events (in noiry voiceover) in 1941 Shanghai, surrounded by Chinese - Japanese war, which Mark Cousins told us killed 13 million people. Actually, I would have enjoyed the beheading (Q wondered if head ever stayed on, and I conjectured in some Asian film that had probably happened).
Somehow lacks the pull of a good dramatic narrative and - as so often - needs vital shots of humour.
Film seems strangely to have disappeared from sight (we have Dutch version which seems to miss Chinese subtitles).
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