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 Müller
Jeffrey Dean Morgan	...	Conner
Hugh Bonneville	...	Ben Sanger
Yuan On	...	Yuan
Hon Ping Tang	...	Chen
Benedict Wong	...	Juso Kita
Christopher Buchholz	...	Karl Müller
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.

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Plot Keywords:

shanghai | undercover | murder | triad | criminal | 

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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 [Japan]

Country:

China USA

Language:

English Mandarin Japanese German

Release Date:

2 October 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Shanhai

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$26,604, 4 October 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$44,689, 11 October 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Living Films, Phoenix Pictures, TWC Asian Film Fund

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The project was set to roll in early 2008 in China, but the authorities blocked the shoot just a few weeks before production was set to begin. China's exit meant walking away from sets that had been built, at a cost of three million dollars. The Weinstein Company shifted the shoot to London and Thailand, where sets have been built re-creating Shanghai's old colonial architecture.

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Quotes

Paul Soames: Conner and I had joined the Navy like our fathers and grandfathers before us. Our lives were set. Birth, school, Yale, war. The great American tradition.

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Soundtracks

Scenes of Yesterday
Written by Rick Riso, Mark Gasbarro
Courtesy of 5 Alarm Music

User Reviews

Beautiful looking and superbly acted movie

I expected a lot with an international heavy weight cast like this one. All the way to the smallest characters are filled with great actors.

The cinematography is excellent and successfully recreates the feel of 40's Shanghai, along with the a secretive atmosphere that enhances the film noir mood. The story moves at a good pace where there isn't a scene too many and you have to keep your mind working to uncover the mysteries Paul Soames is trying to solve.

The excellent cast doesn't disappoint, John Cusack is solid and believable as an agent posing as a journalist. It's not hard to understand he would fall for the insanely beautiful Gong Li who seems to have found a fountain of youth somewhere. She plays the role of Anna Lan-Ting with a seductive and secretive flavor which is a joy to watch. Her husband, mob boss Anthony Lan-Ting, is being played by Hong Kong icon Chow Yun Fat who exudes charm and power but still manages to walk the fine line of a character you feel attracted to but also know you should actually stay away from. His performance adds the right amount of flair the production needs. Ken Watanabe plays out his sinister vibe along with a human grace perfectly and Jeffrey dean Morgan is believable as the friend who ended up dead.

Instead of a movie about politics and war, it's more about human relations and the different side to people. How people are used and mislead at times like this, and matters of the heart play an important role in the decisions the characters make.

If you are open to a movie that makes you think and wonder, you will definitely love 'Shanghai'.

The only thing that I did not get into was the romance-angle between John Cusack and Gong Li.... but maybe that's how it's meant to be. It's easy to see why he would fall for her but she, on the other hand, might have a whole different agenda.