Ang Lee's erotic espionage pic "Lust, Caution" thrilled Venice auds and raised more than just eyebrows on Thursday.
Focus Features co-chair James Schamus shrugged off the MPAA's NC-17 classification when speaking at the press confab for "Lust, Caution." "We are going to fight the good fight. We are comfortable with the rating. The film is for adults, not for kids," Schamus said.
In a sign of the Lion buzz that the pic is already generating, attending journos gave a standing ovation to Lee, winner of the Golden Lion for "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005.
The helmer was less than decisive when quizzed on the film's official nationality. The Taiwan government had lodged a complaint with Venice fest organizers over the lumping together of Taiwan and China in the film's official fest credits. "I don't really have that much to say. They seem to be changing it from one to the other. Once you find out, please let me know," Lee said.
The director was on more comfortable ground when queried about the pic's sexual content. One Croatian journo got in the swing of things by asking if Lee's cast were doing it for real. "Have you seen the film?" quipped Lee.
Fest runs through Sept. 8.
