The Quiet American
REVIEWED 03/03, © STEPHEN BOURNE
www.ofrb.gov.on.ca | www.rcq.gouv.qc.ca


REVIEW:

In 1952, the Vietnam Postal Service issued a one dong fifty xu stamp commemorating the thirty-ninth birthday of exile Bao Dai. Born Nguyen Vinh Thuy, Bao Dai - or 'Keeper of Greatness' in Vietnamese - was the thirteenth and last reigning Emperor of this country that had endured over one thousand years of Chinese occupation until 1428; lived under the one hundred and forty-three year homegrown Nguyen Dynasty that continued long after French Colonial protectorate measures were unscrupulously reinitiated by Napoleon the Third (Josephine's famous Corsican's nephew) in the 1860's, and had seen temporary Japanese control from 1940 until soon after the Second World War. Under pressure from Japan, one of Bao Dai's last acts before abdicating his throne in 1945 was to declare independence for Northern Vietnam - which was quickly taken over by Communist Viet-Minh, under Ho Chi Minh - from the still predominantly French-governed South. By the 1950's, this geographical split had created intense political and military unrest, attracting somewhat conspicuous aide from anti-Red America to the French Indo-Chinese government against Ho Chi Minh's attempts to reunite Vietnam as a Communist State. This last bit is the Pre-Vietnam War historical backdrop which renowned English novelist, once-member of the Communist Party and ex-MI5 operative Graham Greene (1904-1991) used in his 1955 book this elegantly fascinating movie is based on.

Tom Fowler (Michael Caine) of the London Times is a somewhat detached and world-weary, opium-dabbling correspondent stationed in Saigon during the early 1950's. He's become settled. Spoiled. Using his post there like a diplomatic patronage position, where he can avoid his uninspiring British-bound marriage sipping tea and people watching at the street side patio of this temperate city's Continental Hotel or mingling with socialites over drinks under its sultry stars, before returning to his comfortable apartment and the awaiting arms of his beautiful young Vietnamese girlfriend, Phuong (pronounced 'Fong', and played by Do Thi Hai Yen). Consciously oblivious to the tinderbox rumbling within earshot. However, two things threaten Fowler's choice life: A recall notice wired to him by the head office, sparked by his rather poor turnout of articles over the past year, and the sudden appearance of a boyish Bostonian named Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), who introduces himself as an aide sent on an international medical mission to combat disease in the area. Spurred on by the former, Tom decides it's time to write the ultimate job-saving piece about the fighting between the French and Viet-Minh on the frontlines of Phat Xiam village. When he gets there, cringing knee-deep in muck under the protection of ragged French soldiers, not only does Tom make an horrifically bone-chilling discovery, but finds that Pyle has suspiciously tracked him through treacherous territory merely to confess his love for Phuong. More skepticism begins to surround Alden when he's seen with a known American Intelligence field agent, flexes more authority than his supposed position would give, and seems to know more than he'd originally let on.

While slightly subdued in it's pacing at times, 'The Quiet American' is a stylishly mature picture that superbly weaves the main Film Noir-like story of our aging Brit reporter acting on very human emotions in order to keep the status quo, with the larger underlying espionage-tinged tale of the CIA's bullish involvement in foreign affairs that would eventually explode into full scale military conflict. Caine is magnificent in his performance here, with Fraser doing a capable enough job under his mentor's shadow with the sometimes-stunted lines he's been given. That's the only problem I had with this otherwise captivating flick. The Pyle character seems wooden and heavily edited at times, leaving the audience to rely too heavily on Brendan Fraser's likeability factor as though the film forgets that he's actually the antagonist. Now, this fault might be due to the lingering controversy of Greene and this particular story originally being renounced as anti-American, making the US crew of this cinematic remake antsy about giving that character a much needed, more sinister oomph. Y'know, in light of escalating saber rattling since 9/11 and the Gulf War. However, it doesn't matter. Nor does the strange, flashback-inducing side story involving the local police that bookends this sumptuous drama. This is still a good show that's worthy of a stamp of approval.

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The Queen
REVIEWED 10/06, © STEPHEN BOURNE
www.ofrb.gov.on.ca | www.rcq.gouv.qc.ca


REVIEW:

Sharp contrasts in British leadership are tested in the media and by the public shortly after Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren; 'The Madness of King George' (1994), 'Raising Helen' (2004)) invites elected Prime Ministerial candidate Tony Blair (Michael Sheen; 'Laws of Attraction' (2004), 'Underworld: Evolution' (2006)) to lead Parliament, when reports verifying that Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales' (Alex Jennings; 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (1996), 'The Four Feathers' (2002)) ex-wife Lady Diana Spencer died from injuries sustained in a Parisian car accident trigger mass outrage against the Royal Family's apparent lack of mourning, in director Stephen Frears' ('The Grifters' (1990), 'Mrs Henderson Presents' (2005)) wonderfully insightful, superior drama, where Blair's huge gains in popularity with the press for acknowledging the outward grief and shocked sense of loss that many feel for "The People's Princess" during that chilled Autumn of 1997 puts him at odds against growing antagonism towards the Monarchy's official and personal reluctance to sway from Centuries old protocol.

Although not all together faithful in depicting the actual events, and regardless of your stance for or against the Queen and her royal brood, this ninety-seven minute picture is an incredible slice of life portrait played against the tumultuous background of Diana Frances Mountbatten-Windsor (latterly known as Lady Diana Spencer (1961-1997)) and her companion and Harrod's Department Store owner Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Moneim "Dodi Al-" Fayed's (1955-1997) untimely deaths. Yes, 'The Queen' reenacts the moments leading up to and directly following that terrible crash in the Pont de l'Alma road tunnel on that fateful night, but this feature is really about a kind of Generation gap created by shifting and somewhat telling attitudes. It doesn't point out that the same media which had relentlessly humiliated Diana with shocking exposés and invasive photographs after her divorce was the same establishment that would later galvanize public opinion on her behalf against any detractors or appearances of disrespect to her virtual Sainthood. You aren't forced to relive the carnage or ensuing conspiracy theories, though. What this truly remarkable effort does is primarily examine the characters of this fresh new Modernist yet fledgling Prime Minister and this long standing ruling Head of State - who has served her country and the Commonwealth for the entirety of her adult life - as seen through the public eye as well as behind closed doors. The arcs they both slowly bend with are subtle, but incredibly realized. A paying audience is invited to understand their differences, both in what is expected of them and in how they react according to their upbringing.

Mirren is phenomenal here, effortlessly assuming the recognizable persona and composed wit of Queen Elizabeth II to the point where it doesn't matter that they're not physically identical. You're watching the Queen deal with her family in crisis and disillusionment, as seemingly reasonable practices are each openly called into question towards possibly, irreparably damaging the throne beyond her control. Awesome. Sheen doesn't much look like the real Tony Blair either, but his performance here is absolutely captivating in his careful portrayal of an intelligent yet somewhat casual minded Parliamentarian of the people who comes to realize what's at stake. I'm not particularly convinced that there weren't more political motivations involved in reality than play out in writer Peter Morgan's screenplay, but 'The Queen' definitely gives you a believable enough glimpse into the dynamics of that moment in time. It's also interesting to note that Frears doesn't have an actor play Diana, but instead relies on archival news footage masterfully inserted throughout this film for this impressive cast to work from in some scenes. In that regard, James Cromwell ('Star Trek: First Contact' (1996), 'The Longest Yard' (2005)) easily steals the spotlight as Her Majesty's husband - reportedly her second cousin once removed - Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, belligerently scoffing in hilarious blustering fits at how ridiculously Diana's death is obsessed over by the general public and systematically spun in wild directions by the British media as the days progress. I still remember a lot from that terrible tragedy, so it was interesting to see the same events being viewed and commented on from different perspectives during this screening.

Absolutely check out this fascinating and thoroughly satisfying movie for it's outstanding cast and a truly superior story.

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