Apparently so does the lack of sex, as the shortened version of Lee Ang's erotic thriller Lust, Caution topped the box office here over the weekend.

A public outcry and threats of a boycott did not stop the NC16 Lust, Caution, starring Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Tang Wei, from earning $233,346 from 20 screens in the first four days of its release. It opened last Thursday.

The previous week's top-grossing movie - Balls Of Fury, a PG-rated slapstick sport comedy starring Maggie Q - was relegated to the No. 2 spot. It collected $215,800 over the same four-day period.

Of the new movies that made their debut last week, the PG-rated The Detective, a supernatural thriller from Hong Kong starring Aaron Kwok and directed by The Pang Brothers, was the weekend's second highest debut. It cracked the Top 10 at No. 6, collecting about $100,000 from 18 screens.

Another debut, the NC16-certified Russian-language fantasy flick Day Watch, checked in at No. 8, grossing about $55,000 from six screens.

On the Singapore front, Truth Be Told, a crime drama set in the HDB heartland, grossed about $7,000 from three screens.

Running at 148 minutes, the NC16 (no children under 16) cut of Lust, Caution distributed by BVI was edited by Lee for the China market.

It is nine minutes shorter than the version showing in countries like Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States.

Missing in this truncated cut are the explicit love scenes between Leung and Tang.

The film, based on a short story by famed Chinese author Eileen Chang, is about a group of patriotic students plotting to kill the intelligence chief in the Japanese-backed Chinese government in Shanghai during World War II.

Lust's box-office victory was not unexpected by industry observers.

One insider, who declined to be named, said: 'Yes, people are furious with the distributor for bringing in the clean version. But there are also people who are just as curious about what the fuss is all about.'

However, one fan disagreed. 'It's not all about hype,' said pre-school teacher Coreen Ong, 37, who watched the movie. 'The sex is pertinent to the plot. The NC16 version itself is a good film but it would have been even better if it was the uncut version.'

At press time, BVI would not say if it will be bringing in the original version, which industry observers believe is likely to get an R21 rating.

The weekend's Top 10 films are as follows: (1) Lust, Caution (2) Balls Of Fury (3) I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry (4) 881 (5) The Nanny Diaries (6) The Detective (7) Shoot 'Em Up (8) Day Watch (9) Underdog and (10) Death At A Funeral.