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Monsoon

Country: united_kingdom

Year: 2020

Running time: 85

IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8090564/reference

Michael says: “There’s a bit of a thread between COMING HOME AGAIN and MONSOON. Both deal with Asian families, and particularly sons dealing with the death of parents, and difficulty of accessing emotions. But where COMING HOME AGAIN was more of a personal, internal look inward, MONSOON does so much more, even as it remains quiet and reflective. Kit is a Vietnamese man who has lived his life primarily in Britain after his family fled Vietnam during the war over 30 years past. Returning for the first time with the ashes of his parents, the Saigon of the present bears no resemblance, nor sparks any feelings of returning home for Kit. Incredibly crowded and modern, Lee, his best friend from childhood runs a mobile phone store, and is forced to spur Kit’s memories of a childhood he can barely recall. Kit reeks of privilege as he seeks a place to spread his parents ashes, but the connection isn’t coming. Lee and his family were meant to escape Vietnam as well, but were unable to escape, the aftermath of the war leaving a more indelible mark upon them. For the younger people he meets, represented mainly by a young artist he befriends, the war is just a history lesson at school, or the bad memories that their parents and grandparents occasionally share.

“The only time Kit’s numbness lifts and he seems to engage is with Lewis, a young American he picks up at a bar one night, what was presumably meant to be a one-night stand turns into a series of dates. It’s a world and an interaction Kit feels comfortable, even as he wrestles with his own past and the emotions  that brings with it. When a trip to his parent’s hometown of Hanoi fail to spark any inspiration, he’s all but ready to give up, but an awkward conversation with Lee finally reach him.
“Kit is played by Henry Golding, a handsome, leading-man type who broke big in the comedy, CRAZY RICH ASIANS. MONSOON allows him to pay a rich part in an entirely different way, and he manages it beautifully. In only his second credit role, David Tran gives a lovely performance as Lee, Kit’s childhood friend, with just a hint of reproach in his interactions with Kit, mixed with a deference he doesn’t really deserve. MONSOON is Hong Khou’s second feature that he wrote and directed. His first was called LILTING, and it was one I’d wanted to see but missed. I will make sure to do so now. MONSOON is beautifully shot, with an incredible opening shot. Hong and cinematographer Benjamin Kracun do some incredible visual work, in the ways they shoot Saigon and Hanoi to offset their differences, and a gorgeous scene a family preparing Lotus blossoms to create the traditional tea is breathtaking. While the cleansing rains of the monsoon do eventually arrive, I’m not certain what their significance is.
“I will say, MONSOON really resonated with me and my personal family situation. My mother was from the Philippines, and she left Manilla in 1949 never to return. After her death, the thought of bringing her ashes back to her homeland never crossed my mind. Mainly because the Manilla of today bears no resemblance to the Manills that she grew up in. And if she never chose to return over the 60+ years of her life, then it seems she made her decision of where her true home was. 5 cats“

Bob says: “A man whose family left Vietnam when he was a child returns to settle his mother’s affairs and deal with his memories. He hooks up with a few men including an American who he might get serious about.

“Kind of meh for the most part, but the opening shot – – a bird’s eye view of traffic – – reminded me of the battle sequences in Ran – – abstract waves hitting and merging with each other.”

 

Chris says: “Rarely have I found an opening shot to seem both so innovative and hypnotic and also deeply anxiety-provoking. Nice to see a different side of Henry Golding here. 3.5 cats“

Monsoon

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