Shanghai Red, a joint production of Hollywood duo Oscar Luis Costo and Vivian Wu, had its premiere in Beijing on Sunday.

Director Oscar Luis Costo and his actress wife Vivian Wu both showed up at the laid-back ceremony with the other stars, including Desperate Housewives actor Richard Burgi, and acclaimed Chinese actors Ge You and Sun Honglei.

Even though it must have been challenging to act alongside such big, international names, the two Chinese actors got the thumbs up from Oscar Luis Costo, who says he was very impressed by their performance.

The director claims the making of the film is a long-planned present to his wife of over a decade, who was born in Shanghai in 1966.

Oscar Luis Costo, whose works include My Funny Valentine and Encrypt, says the modern and fast-changing Shanghai inspired him to write the screenplay and explore the conflicts between tradition and modernization.

The story revolves around a young mother (Vivian Wu) whose guilt over her husband's death leads her to a double life of murder and deception, according to the film's official website.

The film is one of the official selections of the 2006 Montreal World Film Festival, as well as this year's Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

It is set to open in Chinese theaters on April 29.

(crienglish.com April 23, 2007)