Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" (Se, Jie) introduces the striking performance of 27 year old newcomer Tang Wei, an aspiring writer/director herself who had a small TV role before securing the part in Lee's sexy political thriller. At Thursday's Bowery Hotel party celebrating the film's New York City opening, the actress held court as a line of journalists waited to chat with her for a few moments. Chatting briefly with indieWIRE through a translator, she talked about the intense emotion of a performance that left her drained by the end of production. She seems particularly enthused by the reactions the film is stirring among its viewers, specifically women who have seen the movie. Explaining, she noted that while it can take men a bit of time to respond to her character's experiences, women seem to connect immediately. "Women can endure pain," she noted, adding that she is referring to not only the emotional aspects of the film, but also "the pain of history."