Three Seasons
Director: Tony Bui
Cast: Don Duong, Nguyen Ngoc Hiep, Tran Manh Cuong, Harvey Keitel,
Zoe Bui, Nguyen Huu Duoc
Running Time: 1 Hr. 53 minutes (Showtime)
Foreign/Drama
Rated: PG-13

Three Seasons Review
By Tod Nguyen
May 16, 1999
Three Seasons made numerous headlines in the entertainment industry by winning the Grand Jury and Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival this year. A film made by a 26 year old Vietnamese, Tony Bui (left). It will begin showing in Denver at the Mayan theatres from May 16 till the end of the month.

I was very interested in this movie, because I've heard so much about it, and the fact that I'm Vietnamese even makes it that much more appealing. Although this movie peaked my interest, I've seen too many bad Vietnamese related movies over the years with poor portrayal of Vietnamese people that I think I might be a bit too critical! With that in mind, here's my perspective of the movie. This review is actually my second try at this (thanks to the feedback of an earlier reader, 'VH').

You may be annoyed by the pace of the movie at the beginning. But If you can relax and let the story unfold, you'll realized that the tempo of story is set to match the pace of life in Vietnam. This is a foreign film you know...Time is not what drive life there. After the stage has been set and you have left the fast paced American state of mind behind, the story begins.

(Second top, Vietnam's two famous actors, Nguyen Ngoc Hiep and Don Duong)

Three Seasons weave four separate stories lines that briefly crosses paths in the modern city of Saigon . The first thread was of a orphan kid trying to survive in the modern ghetto of Saigon. The second thread concern an American GI trying to make right a relationship he ignored from his war-related past (a child he had with a Vietnamese Girl). The third story is a love story between cyclo driver and a prostitute and of challenges the cyclo driver has to endure to win the trust of the prostitute. The final story line was about how a great poet retreated into seclusion after he had contracted leprosy and of how a young hired worker restored faith for the poet again. Three season could be seen as representing the stages of life we all go through. The first stage is the orphan boy who simply try to survive the world around him. The second stage of life, where the cyclo driver and prostitute's dreams are realized or unrealized. Finally the time before death where the poet accepts his condition and appreciate the accomplishment he had done before his disease and realize that it's never too late to start over. But this story has four story lines. The last one with Harvey Kietel, because he's American where there's four seasons, he's an exception. His story seems to fall somewhere between realizing dreams and reconciling with the past.

Like the movie title suggest, Bui made use of the weather to represent the seasons as it adds the mood elements to the story. In the case of one character Woody (left), an orphaned boy who survive life by peddling trinkets, this poor kid actor had to endure the rain in every scene he was in! The rain acted as a companion to the boy. The rain was the hardship he had to endure and it seemed it never stop raining on him. Bui also used vivid colors to represent spring time and wisely added vividness at the height of the story and splendid scenery to make you feel like you are there.

What made this film so interesting is that Bui used natives of Saigon for some minor and major roles. Most of the extra casts, minor roles, and "Woody", a major role, really lived in Saigon. These actors and actresses didn't just acted these roles, they actually lived it on a day to day basis. Harvey Keitel (right) was the Executive Producer played a major role as a Vietnam Vet trying to make peace with a past he had not completely left behind.

I was very impress with the translation portions of the movie which was very accurate. Not every phrase used in the translation was word for word, but some common English phrases was used to represent the gist of what was said in Vietnamese.

The people depicted in this movie seemed very genuine to me. This is one of the best movie I've seen this year. If you like to be transported to another climate, see people in another part of the world and how they go through life, catch this movie before the season changes. Summer is coming so catch it soon!
(last picture, Zoe Bui, no relation to Tony, lives in California)

By the way, the movie is in COLOR! These pictures are just some press release photos from October Films. Showtime Info.

**** 4 out of 4 stars.