Riveting thriller

Human relationships are examined through the prisms of love, betrayal, acceptance and alienation in Michael Haystorm’s Shanghai, which has both ambience and action in equal measure

SET in 1941, before the city fell in the hands of the Japanese, Shanghai is an intense epic drama that serenades that brief period of history, which is both captivating and memorable. It has both ambience and the action in equal measure, the hallmark of an ideal entertainer.

Director Michael Haystorm brings vividly to life Amini Husseini’s fetching screenplay using high value production and intriguing techniques in good measure. His noir approach adds depth to the narrative, peopled with a host of interesting characters.

Naval intelligence agent Paul Soames (John Cusack) has been dispatched to Shanghai to investigate the death of his pal Connor (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). We, then, become party to an intriguing turn of events through Paul’s experiences. Paul works undercover as a pro-Nazi journalist and it is a long and thorny path he has to traverse, which provides large doses of suspense to the viewer.

While on his investigations, he gets into an affair with a German spy (Franka Potente) and a brief flirtation with Anna Lanting (Gong Li), whose husband is the Triad boss (Chow Yen Fat) and this gets him deeper into the sticky quagmire of wily espionage, flimsy alliances and crossed loyalties, adding depth to the ongoing drama.

Paul teeters on the brink of discovering something monumental as sinister motives and obscuring misinformation start unravelling into an edgy climax. Haystorm’s narrative brandishes a strong emotional case and has dramatic flourishes that examine human relationships through the prisms of love, betrayal, acceptance and alienation.

Beno`EEt Delhomme’s sweeping camerawork does wonders to this taut suspense story of a black, white and grey world. He is aided by Klaus Badelt’s haunting background score. Kevin Trent’s editing is terse and contributes to the overall smoothness of the film as do the competence of the actors.

Chow Yen Fat and Gong Li are established Chinese players and John Cussack, Franka Potente and Ken Watanabe are worth their weight in this riveting, not-to-be-missed, thriller.

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