Three Seasons ****
rated PG-13 October Films in Vietnamese with English subtitles starring Don Duong, Ngoc Hiep Nguyen, Manh Cuong Tran, Harvey Keitel, Zoe Bui, Huu Duoc Nguyen story by Tony Bui and Timothy Linh Bui written and directed by Tony Bui
"Three Seasons" is being billed as the most acclaimed film in the history of the Sundance Film Festival, having won three top awards, including the prestigious Grand Jury Prize. Writer/director Tony Bui and his film deserve all the praise that they have gotten for making this breathtaking, heartbreaking drama.
The film is about dreamers; people with hopes and aspirations. However, in war-torn Vietnam, the dreamers are constrained by their poverty-stricken fate. "Three Seasons" intertwines the stories of a cyclo driver, a prostitute, an American G.I., a young woman, and a little boy. At first glance, the bunch would seem to have nothing in common, but "Three Seasons" takes the time to prove that they all are lost souls.
"Three Seasons'" cast is composed almost entirely of Vietnamese newcomers, but Harvey Keitel (also one of the film's producers) shines in a small role as a former American G.I. searching for his long-lost daughter. The role is a small one, but Keitel's presence and warmth add an extra layer of heartfelt emotion to an already complex, multilayered production.
Among the Vietnamese cast, Don Duong radiates as a cyclo driver named Hai who falls in love with a prostitute, and desires her love in return. It is such a sweet, quiet performance, but it is one that, like the rest of the film, is subtly heartbreaking.
Every character in "Three Seasons" has a desire; a hope. Whether it be love, stability, or family that the character needs, writer/director Tony Bui makes us feel just the right amount of compassion for each one. In a way, "Three Seasons" leaves the viewer feeling somewhat depressed. Each character will indeed fulfill their dream, but not necessarily in the way in which one would expect.
The thing, however, that makes "Three Seasons" so groundbreaking, apart from the fact that it's the first American film filmed entirely in Vietnam, is that the Vietnamese, who, in modern American cinema have been portrayed as the enemy we know nothing about (in so many Vietnam War movies), finally get their own movie; a movie that proves that even they have some heart and soul.
Tony Bui has handcrafted a flawless masterpiece; a gem that deserves much more than its 3 Sundance Film Festival awards. "Three Seasons" is a quiet film that will reward multiple viewers with its symbolism and subtlety, and it will provide an emotional, but unsentimental experience.
a review by Akiva Gottlieb, The Teenage Movie Critic akiva@excite.com http://www.angelfire.com/mo/film watch me on TBS' "Dinner And A Movie" May 21, 8:05pm EST
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