Shanghai Trailer: Why, Exactly, Has This Been on the Weinsteins' Shelf for Two Years?

A foreign trailer for the Weinstein Company's longest-delayed film, Shanghai, surfaced recently after two years of mythmaking, rumor-mongering and general Web undermining. On the one hand, that's what happens for better or worse when Harvey Weinstein (or anyone, really -- but especially Harvey) drops a movie on his shelf. On the other, while I can't speak to the full-length feature, why is this even on a shelf in the first place?

I mean, listen: John Cusack opened one of the highest-grossing films in 2009 -- hardly on his own, but he made for a brilliant 2012 leading man because he brings the same quality to everything: He moves a story, crappy (Martian Child, War Inc.) or otherwise. In the latter class, The Grifters in particular comes to mind; he's essentially pulling the same act here as an American spy in China during the Japanese occupation as he did when he was a wheezing small-time con artist jockeying for pole position between two squirrely personalities. Tack on 20 years and some international black-ops-mission magic, there's no reason Roy Dillon couldn't have been Paul Soames if his mom hadn't smashed a glass in his jugular. But, you know, in 1941 versus 1990. You know what I mean.

Anyway, my point is that every audience knows this whether they know they do or not, and for all the hand-wringing over Shanghai being any good or just some victim of Harvey Scissorhands, this trailer implies it can't be all that bad. In fact, it looks kinda good: Intrigue, murder, romance, double-crossing, triple-crossing, world history, production values, and the guy at the center who makes it all hum. Does it work at 100 minutes or more? Who knows? The bottom line is: Do you want to see it? After seeing this, my answer is the same as it was two years ago: Yes, already. Let 'er rip, Harvey.

VERDICT: Sold!

[<via The Playlist]