--- title: "Lust, Caution: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/lust-caution/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/lust-caution" critics_score: 59 critics_reviews: 17 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Lust, Caution (2007): what the critics said Critics' score 59 from 17 reviews: 8 positive, 3 mixed, 6 negative. Most critics lean favourable, though not by much: eight of seventeen reviews are positive, six negative, three mixed. Where they agree is on Tang Wei, praised by admirers and detractors alike for the intensity of her performance as Wong and for the moments when her character’s feelings break the surface. Ang Lee’s patience is the other common thread: several reviews describe a slow build that pays off, with looks and gestures doing the work of dialogue, and Time Out admires an early scene aboard a stylised Hong Kong tram. The reservations cluster around length and temperature. The trade press reviewing from the festival, Variety and The Hollywood Reporter among them, finds the film bloodless and overlong, with conversations that never catch fire; The New Yorker reaches a similar verdict. The spread is wide, from strong praise to outright boredom, and the British reviews on release are markedly warmer than the American and festival ones. ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 October 2007. Turan praises the film as an intense, ambitious meditation on emotional and political deception. He especially singles out Tang Wei’s breakout performance for its startling intensity and emotional range. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2007-oct-05-et-lust5-story.html) ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 25 April 2008. Mackie finds the film absorbing and among the year’s best, praising Ang Lee’s subtle, intelligent approach. He singles out the nuanced storytelling and beautifully realised setting, which reward close attention. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/apr/25/dvdreviews.worldcinema) ## Empire — Damon Wise Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 30 November 2007. Wise finds the film’s long, subtle build ultimately provocative and satisfying. He singles out Tang Wei and Tony Leung’s nuanced performances, especially the way Leung’s villain develops unexpected humanity. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/lust-caution-review/) ## Radio Times — Damon Wise Rating 4/5. The critic presents the film as a daring, provocative spy thriller. They single out its inspiration from 1940s films, especially Hitchcock’s *Notorious*. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-3qszxw/lust-caution/) ## Time Out — Wally Hammond Rating 4/5. 15 October 2007. The review describes Ang Lee’s spy romance as absorbing and important. It singles out an early scene aboard a stylised Hong Kong tram for praise. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/lust-caution) ## Total Film — Total Film Rating 4/5. 4 January 2008. The review finds the film a complex, elegant slow-burner whose restraint rewards patience. It praises the subtle performances and the way looks and gestures convey the characters’ motives and emotions. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/lust-caution-review/) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating B-. 27 September 2007. Murray finds the film carefully constructed but emotionally muted. He praises its tense depiction of the revolutionaries’ mounting frustration, while criticizing the relationship’s unconvincing intimacy. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/lust-caution-1798203081) ## RogerEbert.com Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). The blocked page does not expose the critic's verdict. It provides no readable praise or complaint to summarize. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/lust-caution-2007) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 28 September 2007. The page appears to be a review of the exact film, but its verdict cannot be verified from the blocked content. The review’s specific praise or criticism is likewise unavailable. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/28/movies/28lust.html) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 2.5/4. 11 September 2007. Gonzalez finds the film’s erotic encounters and performances compelling, but criticizes its cautious storytelling and underdeveloped political motivations. He especially praises Tang Wei’s haunting portrayal of Wong’s conflicted sense of entrapment. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/lust-caution/) ## Screen Daily — Dan Fainaru Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2007. Festival review. The critic says the film promises more than it delivers, despite its lavish elegance. The review particularly questions whether its handsome presentation works against the sprawling adaptation. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/lust-caution-se-jie/4034220.article) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 14 October 2007. Lane admires Lee’s attempt to roughen his polished style but finds the film unsuccessful and overlong. He singles out the difficult, physically awkward intimacy between Wong and Yee, while faulting the film for taking too long to reach it. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2007/10/22/nocturnes-2) ## Variety — Derek Elley Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2007. Festival review. Elley finds the melodrama largely bloodless and overlong, with too little emotional payoff. He praises the lead performances and boldness of the sex scenes, but says the conversations lack electricity and the Shanghai setting feels generic. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/lust-caution-6-1200556833/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Ray Bennett Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2007. Festival review. Bennett finds the film tedious, overlong, and lacking a point. He praises its gorgeous look and carefully staged scenes, but criticizes its flat acting and clumsy plotting. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/lust-caution-159480/) ## Digital Spy — Daniel Saney Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 5 January 2008. The critic finds the film a finely crafted, slow-building thriller whose tension sustains its long runtime. They praise Tang Wei’s compelling performance and Ang Lee’s vivid period atmosphere. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a82993/lust-caution/) ## Paste — Russ Fischer Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 2007. Fischer finds the film emotionally stifled and unable to release its central passions. He praises Wei Tang’s performance and the rare moments when her character’s feelings break through. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/ang-lee/lust-caution) ## Eye for Film — Amber Wilkinson Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 3 January 2008. Wilkinson considers the film a languid, overlong slog rather than a convincing exploration of passion. She particularly criticizes its implausible sexual choreography and weak characterization. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/lust-caution-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/lust-caution.md