Shanghai (2010)

A '40s period piece which revolves around an American expat who returns to Shanghai in the months before Pearl Harbor due to the death of his friend.

Director:

Mikael Håfström

Writer:

Hossein Amini

Stars:

John Cusack, Li Gong, Yun-Fat Chow

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Cusack	...	Paul Soames
Li Gong	...	Anna Lan-Ting (as Gong Li)
Yun-Fat Chow	...	Anthony Lan-Ting (as Chow Yun-Fat)
David Morse	...	Richard Astor
Ken Watanabe	...	Tanaka
Franka Potente	...	Leni Mueller
Jeffrey Dean Morgan	...	Conner
Hugh Bonneville	...	Ben Sanger
Yuan On	...	Yuan
Hon Ping Tang	...	Chen
Benedict Wong	...	Juso Kita
Christopher Buchholz	...	Karl Mueller
Ronan Vibert	...	Mikey
Nicholas Rowe	...	Ralph
Michael Culkin	...	Billy

Storyline

An American man returns to a corrupt, Japanese-occupied Shanghai four months before Pearl Harbor and discovers his friend has been killed. While he unravels the mysteries of the death, he falls in love and discovers a much larger secret that his own government is hiding.

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Plot Keywords:

shanghai | suspense | police brutality | mafia | nazi | 

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Taglines:

In a world filled with secrets, solving a mystery can be murder.

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Genres:

Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence, some drug use and brief language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [jp]

Country:

USA China

Language:

English Mandarin Japanese German

Release Date:

17 June 2010 (China)

Also Known As:

Shanhai

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Living Films, Phoenix Pictures, TWC Asian Film Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

At one point, Johnny Depp was interested in the project.

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Quotes

Paul Soames: The heart is never neutral.

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Soundtracks

"Cocktail Jump"
Composed and Arranged by Stephen Edwards
Courtesy Really Tall Tunes

User Reviews

Intrigue and Betrayal in a Great City

Shanghai impressed me as a very well-made film. This tale of espionage and double dealing kept me hooked throughout. Shanghai compels the viewer to pay attention in order to piece together a jumble of unclear relationships and alliances. There are many acts of betrayal in the story and they unfold from start to finish. The film also gets high marks for its depiction of pre-World War II Shanghai. The audience get a good visual sense of the cosmopolitan characteristics of the city and in fact, even its delights, like its bars and casinos, compare favorably with those in other modern cities. The acting in this film deserves commendation. Though I am not much of a John Cusack fan, I found his performance believable and not overdone. Li Gong and Yun Fat-Chow are also well cast. Their demeanor came across as natural. I would recommend this film to anyone without reservation.