This is my first movie in 2008, and on New Year’s day too. I watched it with tstar, and according to her, this is her first R21 movie.

The movie is 155 mintues long, and is based on author Zhang Ailing’s book of the same name. The background is set in Japanese occupied Shanghai in 1942 and Wang Jiazhi alias Mrs. Mak (Tang Wei), is an undercover operative of the Chinese Nationalist government. She is part of a scheme to seduce Mr Yi (Tony Leung), the head of counter-intelligence of the collaborator Wang Jingwei government, so as to create opportunities for a team of operatives to assassinate Yi.

The plot was originally hatched by a group of students – headed by Kuang Yumin (Wang Lihom) – when they were in Hong Kong after the Japanese occupied Guangzhou. It was their desire to do their part for their nation by killing a member of the collaborator’s government. The plot fell apart when Yi left Hong Kong to return to Shanghai to take up his post.

Unknown to the group of idealistic students, the Nationalist government has taken an interest in their plot and had placed them under observation. When their plot was almost busted, Nationalist operatives stepped in to prevent it from unravelling. Wang Jiazhi however, was so disappointed by their apparent failure that she returned to occupied Shanghai after the Japanese occupied Hong Kong.

The plot, now as part of the Nationalist black-ops, continues but as Yi was too cautious and cunning, the Nationalist handlers in charge of the operation decided that ‘Mrs Mak’ must return to the plot to make it a success. They found Wang in occupied Shanghai and invited her to return to her part in the plot. And since she has originally given much to the plot, she agreed to continue in her role.

The rest of the story is of course on how Wang managed to seduce Yi, and became his mistress… There were some sex scenes in the movie and personally I wonder if any actual sex is involved because the scenes are even more realistic than the exaggerated Japanese AVs. But I won’t talk more about the story and would leave those who are interested to enjoy it.

Personally, I said it is very well done. The story covers on how ‘Mrs Mak’ deals with every aspect in which Mr Yi would be suspicious. It shows in the end her struggles in her role as a mole and bait, against her own personal feelings for Mr Yi. Everything was very well portrayed and it deserved every bit of the acclaim it has gotten.