The Quiet American (February 6/03)
Making a film that deals with politics is a tricky thing. The movie's got to spice up a subject that is inherently dull, but not to the point where it's pandering to the uneducated. But on the other side of that coin, the film has to ensure that it doesn't go overboard in dealing with the political side of things - otherwise it risks losing the attention of the majority of the audience (even Gangs of New York was guilty of that to a certain extent). The Quiet American, which uses the Vietnam conflict as a backdrop to a love story, manages to straddle that fine line without becoming either confusing or simplistic.
The Quiet American is set in Vietnam circa 1952, and our hero is a British reporter by the name of Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine). Through voice-over, we learn that he's in the country reporting on the war between the Communists and the French - and though he's married, he's settled into a comfortable life with a local girl named Phoung (Do Hai Yen). Things start to change once he meets Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), a charming American Aide Officer who finds himself smitten with Phoung. A love triangle ensues, while the various elements in the conflict play out.
Based on the novel by Graham Greene, The Quiet American is surprisingly involving and though it deals heavily with the politics of the time, the film is clear enough that even a viewer with the most minimal knowledge of the conflict will be able to follow along. Director Phillip Noyce does an astounding job of bringing us this dank and dirty world; Fowler's apartment alone is a masterpiece of set design. Noyce makes great use of the widescreen format, taking his camera in and around the smallest sections of Vietnam. The Quiet American is a marked improvement over Rabbit-Proof Fence, Noyce's other 2002 film, which was over-the-top in virtually every aspect. Here, he creates a world that is absolutely intriguing, from the hotel cafe where Fowler drinks his coffee every morning to the headquarters of an up-and-coming military leader.
But the look of the film would mean nothing without good performances to accompany it, and The Quiet American certainly has that going for it. Caine, as the world-weary reporter, gives one of his best performances in years. He is completely convincing as this guy who's been there, done that - and who just wants to enjoy the rest of his life with Phoung. And Fraser, finally returning to a dramatic role after years of essentially playing living cartoons, proves that he's got what it takes to act opposite a master like Caine. As for Do Hai Yen, she's a surprisingly adept actress - though her heavy accent occasionally makes it a little tough to understand what she's saying.
While The Quiet American does take a little while to really get going, it's nevertheless quite an enjoyable piece of work (and worth checking out if only for Caine's amazing performance).
