Synopsis
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.
Votre Filmothèque
Cast
- John CusackPaul Soames
- Gong LiAnna Lan-Ting
- Chow Yun-fatAnthony Lan-Ting
- Jeffrey Dean MorganConner
- Ken WatanabeTanaka
- David MorseRichard Astor
- Franka PotenteLeni Müller
- Hugh BonnevilleBen Sanger
- Andy OnYum
- Race WongCabaret performer
Recommandations
- 50
Observer
At least Gong is ravishing, which occasionally takes your mind off the gibberish that is going full tilt around her. - 50
The A.V. Club
Pulp without style: Shanghai has many of the staples of noir—back alleys, shadowy figures, hard-boiled narration, and more femmes fatales than a viewer could keep track of—but none of the atmosphere or cool. - 50
Washington Post
Shanghai is an exercise in retro glamour, alluring decadence and tough-guy posing, all of which it delivers in sufficient quantities. - 50
Chicago Sun-Times
The mystery is muddled, the romance is tepid and scenes that should be electric with tension are almost dull. - 50
The New York Times
The spectacular international cast... bring a lot of life to the movie’s uncooperative story material. - 38
New York Post
Hossein Amini’s script leaves good actors like John Cusack, Ken Watanabe and Chow Yun-Fat flailing. - 30
Screen Daily
Despite its rich visual evocation of the eponymous port city as a simmering cauldron of vice, corruption, and barbarity, director Mikael Håfström’s film is undone by its tortuous plot, wooden characterisation, absence of narrative tension, and emotional nullity. It simply lacks conviction. - 30
Village Voice
Cusack's low-simmering performance keeps the drama at a tediously low boil.
