Don't write off the award hopes of the latest pic of Oscar-winning director Ang Lee quite yet. Jeff Wells of Hollywood-Elsewhere.com admits that "Lust, Caution" feels long, but insists that the spy thriller set in WWII Shanghai is "rich — it's well drawn and very well acted. He's just decided to take 2 hours and 40 minutes to tell this tale. It's not a sin. It's not a blunder. It just happens to unfold at this pace."

The reason that expectations may be high is because Lee "hit a home run with 'Brokeback Mountain' and this is a ground rule double," Jeff adds. "It's just not one of his greatest, but it's a good film."

Jeff and I gabbed about "Lust, Caution" and "The Orphanage" while waiting in the Varsity 8 theater for a screening of "Rendition." CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PODCAST CHAT. Note: You may need to hold down your computer's Control key while clicking and wait a few moments for the file to download.

(Photo: Wire Image)