Reviews

After viewing countless American films about the Vietnam War, it's refreshing to find a production that comes from the "other side". Not only does it offer an alternative perspective, but it's an authentic document - made on location in Hanoi right as the war was ending in 1975. Like the far more famous Germany Year Zero, genuine rubble and bombed out buildings line the streets; and one can sense the personal relevance and immediacy to everyone involved. It's worth seeing purely as an invaluable historical resource, but is also a genuinely effective film with competent acting and filmmaking. It's old-fashioned and low-budget - like a mix of Italian Neorealism and 1950s war films - but definitely impressive, especially considering the state of the Vietnamese film industry at the time (ie, far from flourishing).

"The Litte Girl of Hanoi" focuses on a young girl who recruits the help of a soldier to track down her father, who is off fighting the war. She recounts her story, and through flashbacks we are shown her previously happy family life with her doting parents and infant sister. These sequences, including a rudimentary but charming animation of an old Vietnamese folk tale, are juxtaposed with scenes depicting the chaos of war - the family are separated, schools and hospitals are bombed, and wounded American pilots are taken prisoner and paraded through the street. It's an effective technique, while the non-linear approach gives the film a welcome poetic quality. The performance from the young girl is surprisingly good, her adorable face communicating both toughness and vulnerability. "I don't cry," she insists, "the tears just come out by themselves."

The film exists to showcase the human tragedy of the war, specifically its impact on civilians, and could reasonably be called propaganda. It's shamelessly anti-American, with the Vietnamese depicted as undeserving victims of an "imperialist" force (yes, that very word is used). An old woman damns Nixon and swears to get revenge, while the young girl dances and celebrates when a B-52 is struck. But can we blame them? "Undeserving victims" is essentially what they were. From the North's perspective, a foreign nation came from nowhere to intervene in their affairs, declare war, and murder their people. The Vietnam War is now generally accepted by Americans as the pointless failure it was, and while their films reflect this it's still very much as an *American* tragedy. The Vietnamese perspective is rarely shown. "The Little Girl of Hanoi" is an important counterpoint to this, reminding us of the enormous toll on the country's civilians. It's a small film but nonetheless raw, beautiful, insightful, and one of a kind. I'm grateful that it gave me a chance to enter the streets of Hanoi in 1975, and can only hope it will continue reaching a wider audience.

Just a quick review to encourage people to see this lovely, impressive film:

10,000km is a beautiful drama about the difficulties of long-distance relationships. The entire film consists of interactions between a couple (we never see anyone else or leave their flats), mostly through skype or messaging. But believe it or not, it's completely enthralling throughout. The two leads are excellent, bringing both humour and deep emotion to their characters, while the director - in his feature debut - pulls in a variety of tricks to keep things interesting. An honest, quietly powerful film that I hope gets the recognition it deserves. Watch it if you get the chance, and then spread the word.

I saw Beasts of the Southern Wild a couple of days ago and it's still on my mind. It's an unbelievably beautiful and satisfying film. It's rare to find a film that is so artistic AND tugs on the heartstrings in the way that this one does does. You will just fall in love with little Hushpuppy, the protagonist, whose world is presented in a hypnotic and poetic style. She's only about six, and it's all seen from her perspective, so it almost feels like a fantasy - albeit extremely raw and human at the same time. At the end I had both tears in my eyes and a big grin on my face. How often does that happen?

Honestly, the more I think about it the more I think it is a masterpiece. Every aspect of the film contributes to making it such a satisfying experience, from the performances, to the imagery, to the perfect pacing, to the evocative score, to Hushpuppy's quirky voice-over...it's just one of those films that feels perfectly WHOLE. A very special film, the type that doesn't come along often. Please make sure you see it.

This movie is brilliant, but incredibly hard to watch. The entire last thirty minutes I had a lump wedged in my throat, and I couldn't help but cry on three or four occasions. The pain of Thompson's character feels unbearably real. Throughout the film you develop a true understanding of the character, Vivian, and seeing this strong, independent, successful woman reduced to such weakness and vulnerability is very difficult. Yet the trajectory is conducted with such dignity - completely redundant of self-pity. It is incredibly moving.

At the heart of it this is a film about human life, scratched to the very bare surface and faced with a number of important and terrifying questions. Definitely worth watching, but be prepared for an extremely difficult 90 minutes.