Shanghai

In a world filled with secrets, solving a mystery can be murder.

Shanghai, 1941, a few months before the bombing of Pearl Harbor; U.S. naval intelligence agent Paul Soames (John Cusack) poses as a Nazi-friendly reporter in order to find out what happened to a dead friend. A drama that desperately wants to be Casablanca (1942), but ends up closer to Havana (1990) and has little original to offer. What it does have is an attractive cast of Chinese and Japanese stars, especially Chow Yun-Fat as a charismatic gangster boss, and a solid lead performance by Cusack. The story has its exciting moments and the well staged, mystique-laden 1940s milieu does its job.

2010-China-U.S. 105 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Mikael Håfström. Cast: John Cusack (Paul Soames), Gong Li (Anna Lan-Ting), Chow Yun-Fat (Anthony Lan-Ting), David Morse, Ken Watanabe, Franka Potente.

Trivia: Has yet to be released in the U.S. Johnny Depp was allegedly considered for the lead.