Excited
There’s a part of me that’s too tough, wise, and jaded for a film about a Vietnamese kid who runs away and must find a way to survive in Ho Chi Minh City. But there’s also a part of me that will always be touched by children and loneliness and getting torn from those you love, or brought finally together.
The tagline of The Owl and the Sparrow is “Three strangers. Five days.” The first of the three strangers is Thuy (Pham Thi Han), a young orphan who’s put to work in her uncle’s bamboo blinds factory. Since she’s ten years old, she doesn’t measure bamboo segments very well. Uncle reams her out and she decides, like any sensible kid, to run away. Except instead of making it to the end of the block and turning back like a normal child, she makes it all the way to the city. There she meets strangers number two and three — Lan (Cat Ly), a beautiful flight attendant, and Hai (Le The Lu), a zookeeper.
In five days she goes through three jobs and three homes, and gets by with the help and good advice of other street urchins. More realistically, this would have happened over the course of weeks or months. These are the types of people to whom nothing ever happens, ever. They can pass days and years without a change. And the film has the meditative pace typical of indie films. At any rate, if you visit Vietnam after watching The Owl and the Sparrow, you’ll look a little more closely at the rose-sellers and card-sellers, and have a more enriched sense of the possible stories behind them.
The film, with its obvious plot points, could easily have felt trite. But anything well acted and well written is engaging. I think this extends to all of film production and art in general — created with sincerity, it will be felt with sincerity. The only exceptions in this film, both included to bring the action to some sort of climax: a National Geographic-esque montage of Vietnamese children looking at you with their dark soulful eyes, and a scene of people running into each others’ arms at the airport.
To end on a good note — because it is a good film — there are touches of Asian culture that make the film true to life: little gifts, animal lovers, asking people if they’re married like you say how are you (somehow I associate that with Asians, especially Southeast Asians). Agrarian values, tensions between business and humanity. Sailor moon outfits, sweatshop, factory. It’s so rare to see these elements in your average American television show or movie, which is why it’s important to see it if it happens to play near you:
Los Angeles – at Laemle Sunset 5 on January 16
Orange County (the director Stephane Gauger’s hometown)- at Westminster 10 on January 16
San Jose– at Camara 12 on January 23
How does this post make you feel?
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
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Bought the DVD, which bears the title "Lovely Rose" and is distributed by a Korean company. My wife (who is Vietnam) and I (who am not Asian) both enjoyed the movie. It is shot in a semi-documentary style that gives you a feel for the streets of Vietnam. The three characters are pulled together amid the bustle of the city. The little girl "Thuy" is the cement of the story and she is a delight to watch. In fact, everyone in the film does a great job. I got a little misty eyed at times as I remember the street children from my short visit to Vietnam. This is a hert warming story and keeps you interested as it unfolds. I highly recommend this film to all.
Bought the DVD, which bears the title "Lovely Rose" and is distributed by a Korean company. My wife (who is Vietnam) and I (who am not Asian) both enjoyed the movie. It is shot in a semi-documentary style that gives you a feel for the streets of Vietnam. The three characters are pulled together amid the bustle of the city. The little girl "Thuy" is the cement of the story and she is a delight to watch. In fact, everyone in the film does a great job. I got a little misty eyed at times as I remember the street children from my short visit to Vietnam. This is a hert warming story and keeps you interested as it unfolds. I highly recommend this film to all.
i just watched the preview--this movie reminds me of another beautiful Vietnamese film, "Three Seasons"...it's been a few years since I saw it but it reminds me of that film.
i just watched the preview--this movie reminds me of another beautiful Vietnamese film, "Three Seasons"...it's been a few years since I saw it but it reminds me of that film.
Wow..that was an amazing trailer. I can't wait until it comes out to DVD or something--which, I might have to hold my breath for. I remember Journey from the Fall taking a few years from its initial showing to go to DVD..
Wow..that was an amazing trailer. I can't wait until it comes out to DVD or something--which, I might have to hold my breath for. I remember Journey from the Fall taking a few years from its initial showing to go to DVD..
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