The Quiet American
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Movie Reviews of The Quiet American
Movie Review: The Quiet American and the Hollywood Twist
Summary: 3 Stars
An impressive work of craftmanship: fluent and though-provoking story, beautiful photography and excellent acting. Michael Caine in particular is breathtaking as world-weary journalist, Tom Fowler, in love with a lovely young Vietnamese, Phoung. It is a measure of his performance that a preference of Phoung for him rather for a much younger American, played by Brendan Fraser, appears entirely credible.
And yet the film leaves me with a sense of a malaise. This is not so much because for all his charm and professionalism, Fowler is a deeply flawed persona, who ends by up mortally betraying somebody whom he claims to be his friend. This ambiguity is at the heart of the Greene's book and the very seductiveness of Michael Caine makes it more salient. No, my problem is with the Hollywood twist: introduction, at the end of the movie, of a seemingly innocuous sequence, which is not only anachronistic in relation to the book but also gratuitously moralizing and oversimplifying. As if they did not believe in the force of Caine's perfomance, the film producers make Fowler not only stay forever in Vietnam but also file dispatches (shown with end credits)that record various steps of US involvement, ending with Tet offensive. In this way, producers apparently hoped to kill two birds with one stone: first, to show the extent of Fowler's redemption; second, to draw a parallel with Iraq. They only succeeded in demonstrating the persistence of old Hollywood tricks (who really had a final cut on this movie?) and the strength of more recent liberal prejudices (Irak will be like Vietnam, get it?).
Movie Review: One of the best movies I've seen in a while
Summary: 5 Stars
this movie is beautifully paced and well filmed with excellent performances from the cast. It paints a frightening picture of what happens when people lose perspective on "winning". It is a very relevant movie about political manipulation and its effect on war. Well done and very enjoyable if you are looking for a thinking person's movie.Movie Review: Thoughtful look at a little known time
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is set in 1951/52, at the time that the French involvement in Vietnam was drawing to a close and the American involement was just beginning. It's a story set in a time and place that has vanished and can never be recovered. An expatriate reporter, living a complacent, expatriate life is forced to make choices in his life that will affect the fate of everyone around him.
Michael Caine superbly captures an air of world-weariness and desperation. Philip Noyce keeps the story moving along and Chris Doyle's photography captures the beauty of Vietnam in every scene. This is a lovely, deeply affecting movie. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: Surprisingly good film that worth owning
Summary: 4 Stars
From the title and box art, one might miss that this movie is about the pre-history of the Vietnam conflict (late 1950's / early 1960's). Many Americans (and Canadians) know about Vietnam from about 1963 when U.S. involvement became daily news. But "The Quiet American" tells what political events led to the American aspect of the conflict, all set against a love-triangle conflict with Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser both attracted to the same young woman. There's enough history, action and color in the plot to forgive my own pet peeve of the much MUCH older gentleman sleeping with what appears to be a teenage girl. Even Brendan Fraser looks too old for this child. But you know Hollywood: a 70-year old Clint Eastwood will still cast a 20-year old girl as his romantic interest. So I guess "The Quiet American" is no more guilty than others. But for my vote, this tri-generational gap is what knocked the film from a 5-star ranking.Movie Review: Accurate presentation of a flawed book
Summary: 4 Stars
Even though this accurately represents the book contents, be aware that the book contents are not exactly related to history. Also the extra features giving the history of Vietnam is very wrong in many places. It repeats the dishonest presentations of journalists. You should read the memoirs of Henry Kissinger, available here on Amizon, to get the true history of the US involvement in the country. After comparing the journalists reporting to Henry's statements you will agree with the statement by C. S. Lewis that only culturally lower class people believe journalists.