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Directed by: Anh Hung Tran Starring: Tran Nu Yên-Khê, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, Le Khanh This is the same movie as "The Vertical Ray of the Sun". It might be a British/American thing; I'm not sure. "At the Height of Summer" wins the Google battle over "The Vertical Ray of the Sun" by a factor of about 1.5, for whatever that's worth. Also, the DVD I have (by Artificial Eye) calls it "At the Height of Summer", so that's how I'll refer to it. This is sort of an "A Week in the Lives Of" type of movie. The central characters of the story are three sisters, their brother, and the husbands of two of the sisters. Both of the sisters' parents have died recently, and exactly one month after each other. (Which is also the exact amount of time between their birthdays, meaning that they were alive for almost exactly the same amount of time.) But the sisters seem completely at ease with it, and indeed seem to feel that it was meant to be that way, because their parents so hated to be apart. It's not a very important plot point, but it does provide a sense of context for the characters and what point they're at in life. "At ease" is an apt description of the entire first act of the movie. The first 45 minutes or thereabout are completely tranquil and a true joy to watch. The characters are happy, they're calm, they bask in the sun, they aren't bothered by the rain, they do nice things together, they listen to calm music, and generally make me green with jealousy for being so drat serene and beautiful. But all is not well in paradise. It's not for any very specific reason or traceable to any particular incident, but the movie gradually and quite subtly undergoes a shift in tone. Several seemingly minor problems start to pile up, and the mood becomes more tense -- even a bit eerie. It all culminates with each sister's individual problems reaching their peaks at the same time, giving us a pretty spectacular climatic scene. But in the end it all works out, for the most part anyway. The aforementioned climatic scene ends with a hilarious misunderstanding, and provides a good excuse for the characters to pick up their lives again. Mistakes have been made, but no permanent damage has been caused. The movie ends more or less the same way it started, with the mood having turned right back around to the tranquility of the first act. At the Height of Summer looks absolutely stunning. Lately I've been watching so many old movies with comparatively low production value, and on my computer with headphones, that I've almost forgotten about what a treat it can be to watch a beautiful movie under superior conditions (by which I mean DVD, and on a TV screen). The cinematography is impeccable. The colors are vibrant -- that's a bullshit critic's buzzword, but it's true. Tràn makes Vietnam look like the most colorful place in the world. But as pretty as the movie looks, most of the beauty comes from the setting and the interaction between the characters. The previously mentioned serenity of the first act was a uniquely calming experience for me. It made me want to be there with the characters, and be as peaceful and happy as they were. An obvious comparison to make is that to Wong Kar Wai. His films have that same meandering and open-ended quality to them, especially the second part of Chungking Express. The directors' styles could hardly be more different: Wong Kar Wai's use of the camera is fast-paced and engaging, Tràn's is slow and reflective. But the content and the general mood of the films are undeniably similar. I think fans of the one will be likely to like the other, but I can't exactly guarantee it. It's true that there's not much of a plot or even a central conflict to speak of here, but who says there has to be? There's no rule saying that a movie has to have a central conflict, and At the Height of Summer is a perfect example of why that is. There's a million different ways for a movie to convey its message and say what it wants to say. A general study of a setting and the characters populating it is one of those ways. If you're looking for excitement, fast-paced action or a complex plot, you should obviously look elsewhere. If what you want is a film which can be described as any of those things I described it as above and can't be bothered to reiterate, you know where to look. I was going to give this a 4.5, but now that I'm at the end of the review I can't remember why. I'm giving this a perfect score for setting out to do something, and achieving it almost perfectly. I guess it might be an "acquired taste", or something like that, but I can't imagine anyone not enjoying at least the technical qualities of the film, if nothing else. Give it a shot; what have you got to lose? Other than time and money, I mean. RATING: 5 PROS: Visually stunning, unique atmosphere, great characters CONS: Lack of conventional plot will be off-putting to some ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0224578/
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Mar 1, 2006 00:05
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 12:04 |
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One of my absolute favorites. A beautiful, intensely satisfying look at love and family. Breathtaking work of tranquility and harmony, even while the lives of the characters are thrown out of balance. Tran seeks out beauty wherever he can find it -- in faces, in food, in nature, in walls and ponds and rainstorms. Beauty in mood and music and emotion, and in family. Watching The Vertical Ray of the Sun is like taking a warm bath, or like... well, like being in a ray of sunlight. It's intoxicating and mellowing, and feeds the heart. Rating: 5.5 Also check out Tran's The Scent of Green Papaya (and Cyclo, although that one's a bit different in tone)
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Mar 2, 2006 18:46
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