[suspenseful music]
- Do not dwell on the past.
Do not dream of the future.
Concentrate the mind on the present moment.
My name is Smith.
Welcome to Flatland.
[dramatic music]
Where I first met the devil.
His name was Khan.
Mine, Saint Michael.
The war for the soul of mankind
has raged for three thousand years.
The battle ground today is Shanghai.
I have forced three young Americans to work for me.
JT, the gang-banger.
Mr Mitchell, a failed mob lawyer.
And Amy Lee, a beautiful young woman.
They will ultimately discover the history
when present and past collide
and where one misstep on eitherside
of the fourth dimension is fatal.
In the world of Flatland,
where nothing is as it appears to be.
My name is Smith, welcome to Flatland.
[tense music]
- Hello Sal Min, it's been a long time.
You never change.
Sometimes I wonder what that would be like.
One persona, one body,
one mind.
Don't you ever get bored?
[dramatic music]
Aren't they beautiful?
[fast-paced electronic music]
[calm music]
[ceramics rattling]
- Good morning.
- You don't wake black people up like that, man.
I coulda nailed you.
- Maybe.
But I doubt it.
- Okay, you almost gave me a heart attack, man.
- You're too strung, you're too young for that.
I brought you breakfast.
- Hmm, got some water with some trees in it.
This is good, what is this?
- Jasmine, it's good for your stomach.
- I know you didn't just come here
to give me something good for mystomach.
- I have a question.
- I got hundreds.
What's yours?
- You have been in Flatland for a while now,
I'm curious what you think.
- Of Flatland?
Of fourth dimension?
Where time is parallel?
- Well, there is no time.
- I mean, it's cool, it's weird.
The only problem is every little Flatland visit
seems to involve somebody trynakill me.
[sword swishes]
[dramatic music]
- I once knew a voodoo queen.
She sang com-bu songs
and danced with snakes.
It was in Perdido street, New Orleans.
- Oh yeah, it's cool town.
- I was in love with her
in Flatland.
- [speaking French]
- I did.
And paid for it.
Flatland is a dangerous place.
Don't forget that.
[screaming]
[tense music]
[electronic music]
[whistling]
- Hey pretty lady.
- You know who you remind me of?
- Paul Newman, Mel Gibson?
- No, Mickey Tortoretti.
Mickey Tortorelli?
Who's that?
- He was a jerk.
But he was cute.
- Cute, cute, well that's a start.
We can build something meaningful from that.
- Okay, I understand deep, sharing, beautiful
but what does meaningful mean?
- Well, all of the above plus long hot nights,
deep sensitive mornings and mutually exquisite afternoons.
- As in sex?
- You said it, not me.
- You were thinking it, you're always thinking it.
- No I'm not, not at all.
I'm thinking about plenty of other things too.
- Is there another reason that you're here, Mitchell?
- Yes.
Smith.
Where is he?
- Rwanda, Aratunga, Red Bluff--
- I need to talk to him.
- Important?
- Yeah.
He promised me some perks for being here in Shanghai
and I don't intend to let him off the hook.
- I'll pass along the message.
- Perks?
Where the hell does that word come from?
Extortion, I understand.
Blackmail, I understand.
But perks, whew.
- In Mitchell's case that can mean a lot of things.
- He's like the lamb cruising the lion's den.
- He's annoying but he's harmless.
- That's the problem.
I don't think he'll ever get toFlatland.
- He always has.
- He always takes the longest.
- You never wonder why?
- His self-centered attitude.
- You know that Mitchell will be there when you need him
and so will Amy and so will JT.
That's why you chose them.
- You mean I did something right?
- I've been meaning to ask--
- I know.
About you.
Can we cross that bridge later?
- Done.
- Khan's in town.
See her in Shanghai.
He knows I'm here.
This could be the beginning of the end-game.
- That's what you want, isn't it?
- That's all I want.
[fast-paced electronic music]
[calm music]
[tense electronic music]
[tense music]
[wind chimes chiming]
- Very impressive, where'd you learn to do that?
- I was raised in the circus.
- Really?
I was once married to a clown.
- Are you looking for someone, miss?
- James, Anna James.
I'm supposed to see the estate today.
I'm thinking of buying it.
Are you the owner?
- No, I just live here and I watch it for the owner.
I didn't know it was for sale.
- It's absolutely lovely.
[dramatic music]
Have we met?
- I don't think so.
If you wanna have a look around, that's fine with me.
- I think I will.
[fast-paced electronic music]
[tense music]
- Excuse me?
I'd like to use the elevator.
[laughing] Is something wrong.
Seriously, are you okay?
- Yeah I just, uh.
I though maybe I knew you.
- I just moved in.
- Is that yours?
- Yeah, Mulan, I actually learned it in San Francisco.
- Well, believe it or not,
I know a little something aboutMulan.
- Well maybe we can practice together some time, hmm?
- Yeah, that's be cool.
[dramatic music]
[fast-paced electronic music]
- I'll tell you another thing.
You got it made, my friend.
Nobody talks to you, they're not expecting shees.
Do you know how hard it is
to live up to people's expectations?
Hmm?
Ah, it's okay, you don't have to answer that.
[upbeat music]
Hi.
My name's Mitchell.
Quentin Mitchell.
And yours is?
Your name?
Is?
No, you don't, do you?
She doesn't speak English.
Well, Mitchell.
- Serena.
- Such a pretty name.
For such a pretty lady.
Garcon, may we have a drink please and I'll have a beer.
So, Serena who doesn't speak English,
do you come here often?
[piano music]
[electronic music]
- I didn't see you there.
- Well you were pretty focused.
- I'm good at simple things.
- That's not what Smith says.
- What, he says I'm not good at simple things?
- No, he says you're good at everything.
- Ugh, I love that man.
What's up?
- I need your advice about something.
- Penny for my thoughts?
- More like a couple of dollars.
- Oh, serious stuff.
- Huh, could be.
- Can I have a cucumber juice, fresh, no ice?
- Oh.
Two.
- So, what's the deal?
[piano music]
- Feel like I've been talking all evening.
You're such a great listener.
There's so much I wish you could know about me
but I just really don't--
[hopeful music]
[dramatic piano music]
- I've been seeing him for a while now,
he's really nice.
- Sounds like a problem I shouldhave.
- What would you do if you had a little hint
he was also seeing someone else.
- Kill him and feed his body parts to wild dogs.
- Even if it was just a hint?
- Standard operating procedure.
I mean, it depends on how much you really like him.
Is he just a snack or is he the whole dinner?
- I think he's for real.
- If he feels the same way aboutyou,
then it's not an issue.
- I think he does.
- When do I get to meet him?
I never steal form friends,
I don't even borrow.
This tastes a lot better with vodka.
[piano music]
- I wanna see some fresh air.
Some air, yes?
Outside, there's a lot of fresh air outside.
[dramatic music]
[fast-paced electronic music]
- Hey.
- Hi.
- Listen, I didn't get to introduce myself last time.
I'm JT.
- Marie.
- I got 10 slices in this box so you can have at least one.
- I'll tell you what, I have some wine upstairs.
- Wine and pizza go really welltogether.
- I'll share if you will.
- All right, you got it.
[piano music]
- You know, I don't even reallyknow
if he's seeing this Anna person.
- And where does that idea leadyou?
- I just figure, he's innocent until proven guilty.
- By that time it's too late.
- Maybe you're right.
- Woo.
You know Noir and pepperoni, I love it.
- Nice.
- Well I can say one thing.
You're not into things.
Does that include people?
- No, I'm definitely into people.
- Have you ever been married?
- Not in this lifetime.
- Close?
- Once.
- What happened?
Dog meat?
- Nah, I let him live.
Ah!
One more for men in general?
Can I have another cucumber vodka martini--
- Hold the cucumber.
- We have something in common.
- You know, um.
When I first saw you, I thoughtmaybe we'd met someplace.
Where are you from?
- Shanghai.
- She speaks!
Which is good.
It's just in this day and age,
it's just so hard to meet people, you know?
Then you throw Mandarin and English into the mix,
just gets crazy.
I'm talking too much.
I'm not talking enough?
- Where are you from?
- Denver.
- Well I must be wrong 'cause I never been to Denver.
- Does it matter?
[fast-paced electronic music]
[piano music]
[thunder rumbling]
- I wish I could tell you in Mandarin
how beautiful I think you are.
[dramatic piano music]
[tense music]
[electronic music]
- Home sweet home.
I've had a fabulous time this evening, Mitchell.
It's a shame to see it come to an end,
would you like to come up for a nightcap and a lot more?
I think that is a fabulous idea!
And yes I would.
But seriously, serena, I had a...
I had a fabulous time.
[uplifting music]
[tense music]
[rhythmic music]
[dramatic music]
- Good morning.
Are you okay?
- Yeah.
Yeah, I just had a bad dream.
- Tell me about it.
I used to make extra money in school interpreting dreams.
- Where'd you learn to do that?
- From my grandmother in New Orleans.
- Perdido Street?
- Actually, On Canal.
- What else did your grandmother teach you?
- How to bait a jig and do dirtyboogie.
I had fun JT.
- Sword.
- I gotta go do some stuff but,um,
I'm free later.
[tense music]
[fast-paced electronic music]
- I'm sorry I'm late.
- You're worth waiting for.
- I'm glad to hear you say that.
- I don't want you to ever think
that I take you for granted.
I take sunrises and sunsets for granted but not you.
For me?
- No.
And I don't know who gave it tome.
I found it in my bedroom.
- It's Tang dynasty, very impressive.
- That's 1500 years ago.
- Or right now if you're in Flatland.
- I've seen a couple of things,
things I don't understand.
- I see those everyday.
- You know what I mean.
- It's an omen.
- Good or bad?
- You flip a coin.
- You're testing me.
You know exactly what this means.
- Keep going.
- And I have to figure it out for myself.
- Bingo.
Dead solid perfect.
- You didn't warn her?
- If anyone needs a warning fromme,
they're gonna get killed.
- Still.
- Still what?
I need them to be strong on their own,
otherwise we all fail.
- What does the fan mean?
- She's a warrior and trickster.
She plays both sides against themiddle.
I didn't bite but Kahn did.
- You mean the fan belongs to a warrior that knows you both?
- Some work both sides of the aisle, Judas comes to mind.
- Well, does she have a name?
- Several.
- Yeah, well, you called her the trickster.
- Oh yeah, she's some act.
World class.
- She can't be that good, she left the fan.
It's a sign as big as Texas.
- She just wants me to know she's here.
It's like an invitation to the party.
- Are you gonna accept?
- There's only one soiree that Iwant
with Kahn, one on one, no flunkies invited.
- So the fan is like an omen?
- It's a little remembrance of things passed
and those to come.
- And how did it end in the past?
- She killed them all.
No contest.
- I really like this place.
- It's hard not to.
So peaceful, so beautiful.
- I really love the Sung Dynasty architecture.
In another lifetime I must havelived in a place like this.
- That's always possible.
- The lake, the Pegoda.
The way the mist hangs on the water.
It's so pretty.
It's like a painting.
- The mist is always here.
- Always?
- Were you here last night?
- No.
Why?
- Just thought I saw someone.
There aren't many visitors.
- I was having drinks with a bunch
of boring bankers in the city.
- I also found something, a fan.
Very pretty.
I thought you might have left it.
- No.
- What will you do now?
- Well, I'll come back this afternoon,
have another look around,
and then I think I'm gonna makean offer.
I would like to ask you a couple of questions later,
off the record.
- Sure.
- Great.
I'll see you in a couple of hours.
[fast-paced electronic music]
[knocking on door]
- [JT] It's open.
- Hi.
- Hey.
- I was out exploring.
- You can do a lot of that in Shanghai.
- It's full of gardens and lakes.
So much of it is new and so muchold.
- And old can mean really old inChina.
- You know, I like the way that all seems connected.
Form and function is a pattern here.
You can see it all over the place.
- I know what you mean.
Actually, this place reminds me of home sometimes.
- Really?
- I think it's the canals, the water.
The way the sunlight reflects off the glass and the steel.
- I never though about that but you're right.
You want one?
Lemon lime.
And
lemon lime.
It's not exactly Pinot Noir, but.
- It's a particular favorite ofmine.
Here's to east west relations.
On my honor, I promise that I will do
everything in my power to learn some Mandarin.
Even if it kills me.
[dramatic music]
Refills?
And you know what, I'll tell you another thing,
I'm gonna teach you English.
It's a snap, I started learningit when I was 10 months old.
- Hello, Amy.
- I didn't hear you coming.
- No but you knew I would.
- What do you mean?
- I think you know.
Because you know a whole lot more than you let on, Amy Lee.
I left you the fan.
- I brought you a present.
- Who are you?
[upbeat music]
- You remember.
You always do.
Deceit and seduction.
Name of the game JT.
- You know what?
I bet you'll learn Englishquicker than I'll learn Chinese.
Serena, whew!
Is that you real name?
- Did Smith tell you what it really is?
That's like him.
The other side.
My side is stronger, Amy.
Don't you remember?
Ugh!
[sad music]
I killed you before.
And all your friends.
- Serena, Serena.
I bet there's a song about that.
- Go for it JT.
While you still have a chance.
[tense electronic music]
- Huh, ah!
[tense electronic music]
[dramatic music]
Hold on!
Did I say something wrong?
[sad music]
- Ugh!
- Tripting.
One of Kahn's best.
Maybe I can bet on him, kiddo.
- Mitchell's smarts, JT's strength and Amy's heart.
- Yeah.