In the first minutes of Lust, Caution, we get one of those shots where the camera swish-pans quickly to the side to reveal a guy looking through binoculars; the effect, used in countless Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme movies, is as if we were also looking through binoculars, spying. Then we get a shot of four women playing Mahjong and talking, talking, talking. The clacking of the tiles mixes with their chattering, and the subtitles flash across the screen on top of images of tiles. Are we supposed to be looking at the pictures on the tiles, and if so, did we miss anything important in the dialogue? Following that, a car rolls down the street. We cut to another shot of the car rolling down the street, this time entering a gate. Then the car parks. A man gets out and walks into a large house. That's roughly the first ten minutes of the film. It begs the question: what do these shots have to do with one another? What does any of this have to do with anything? What does it have to do with the art of cinema?

I got the impression, here and throughout Lust, Caution, that director Ang Lee just arbitrarily set up his shots without much consideration for what they meant. His only concern is the story, not the art behind it. In a crucial, early exchange between our two lead characters, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung) and Mrs. Mak (Tang Wei), Lee very simply cuts back and forth between them on the beats of dialogue. When one finishes speaking, he cuts to the other, who starts speaking. There's no mystery or rhythm, and no concern for reactions or pauses. I bring all this up only because Lee is widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers in the world, and he ought to be a good deal better than this. I suspect that, like many others throughout history, he mistrusts cinema as an art form in itself, and sees it only as an extension of literature and theater. He adds external elements to make his films seem important. In this case, the movie's length (nearly 160 minutes) and his story about the Japanese occupation of Shanghai in the late 1930s and early 1940s, carry a historical weight.

After his last two English-language films garnered completely different reactions from audiences (Hulk was a bomb, whereas Brokeback Mountain was last year's Oscar darling), Ang Lee is leaving his Wyoming-based gay cowboys for a WWII-era espionage thriller set in Shanghai.

Based on the 26-page short story by Chinese writer Eileen Chang, Lust, Caution "follows a group of patriotic students who plot to assassinate the intelligence chief in the Japanese-backed Chinese government." Having already signed Tony Leung Chiu Wai to play the intelligence chief in question, Mr. Yi, popular actress (and formerly known as the "Elizabeth Taylor of China") Joan Chen has now come onboard to act as his wife. Newcomer Tang Wei also stars as the student who seduces Yi in an effort to set up the assassination.

Odds and ends from Monday:

• Though Casino Royale isn't due out for another few months, its producers are so sure it's going to be a hit, they've already jump-started the follow-up, currently titled Bond 22. Apparently, Notting Hill director Roger Michell is in negotiations to helm it, what some are saying, is an original idea from producer Michael Wilson. Hey, I have a feeling this old school Bond will be fun to watch. If they remain on that path, I'm all for a few more films -- so long as Hugh Grant doesn't play villain.
• Looks like Ang Lee has found the stars for his follow-up to Brokeback Mountain, a WWII-era spy thriller, Lust, Caution. Tony Leung and newcomer Tang Wei have landed the lead roles in this Chinese-language feature for Focus Features, which is based off the short story written by the late Eileen Chang. If the plot stays true to the short story, it will revolve around a man who attempts to seduce and assassinate a spy working for the Japanese government.
• While some feel his films are annoying and self-serving, I'm a big fan of Wes Anderson's work. I mean, how can you comfortably live your life and not think Rushmore is one of the greatest films, like, ever? Currently, the director is working on the animated The Fantastic Mr. Fox, which his is co-writing (based off the novel by Roald Dahl) and directing. However, Owen Wilson recently told CNN he's going to be working with Anderson on another film set in India. Though he didn't give many details, he did say the story followed three brothers who go on a journey throughout India and it's not a buddy comedy movie. India? Owen Wilson? Wes Anderson? I'm there.