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Download, Watch online The Quiet American Movie.
| Genres: | ThrillerRomanceDr |
| Starring: | Holmes Osborne, Michael Caine, Rade Serbedzija, Brendan Fraser, Robert Stanton, Tzi Ma, Ferdinand Hoang |
| Director(s): | Phillip Noyce |
| Available Quality: | Hi Def, iPod, Hi Def, Hi Def |
| Country: | Germany, USA, UK |
| Year: | 2002 |
| IMDB Rating: | 7.2 |
Saigon, 1952, a beautiful, exotic, and mysterious city caught in the grips of the Vietnamese war of liberation from the French colonial powers. New arrival Alden Pyle, an idealistic American aid worker, befriends London Times correspondent Thomas Fowler. When Fowler introduces Pyle to his beautiful young Vietnamese mistress Phuong the three become swept up in a tempestuous love triangle that leads to a series of startling revelations and finally - murder. Nothing, and no one, is as it seems, in this adaptation of Graham Greenes classic and prophetic story of love, betrayal, murder and the origin of the American war in Vietnam.
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The Quiet American (iPod) | Resolution: 480x208 px | Total Size: 285 Mb |
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The Quiet American (Hi Def) | Resolution: 852x368 px | Total Size: 562 Mb |
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The Quiet American (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1920x824 px | Total Size: 6707 Mb |
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The Quiet American (Hi Def) | Resolution: 1280x552 px | Total Size: 4471 Mb |
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Movie Photos: We have taken some photos of "The Quiet American". They represent actual movie quality.
Visitor Reviews: (20)
CDC0805 17 May 2012
Memorizing & powerful film
In seeing this film, I saw several parallels with "The Year of LivingDangerously", 1982 film with Mel Gibson and Sigourney Weaver. Rather thandivulge plots of either film, I will say that I appreciate a good periodfilm, even it is fiction.A political science and history major, I enjoy good stories draped alongwith historical events.
morningkeith 17 May 2012
A study in taking sides, and unintended consequences
Right off, I liked Michael Caine more than I liked the rest of the movie,with the exception of the man who played his assistant (Tzi Ma?) whose role,when you think about it, is fascinating. Though Roger Ebert, whom I respect, gave it four stars, I'd be closer tothree. I thought the direction was jumpy, clumsy, and even annoying. Likea snapshot photographer, the movie takes lots of pictures, but they aren'twell seen.I also thought Brendan Frazer's character was just getting interesting, whensuddenly - whap, it's the end of the movie. Drat. I would have liked to haveseen thirty more minutes.But "The Quiet American" did make me think of unintended consequences, andhow wars have many more surprises than any military strategist can plan.Which in light of the Iraq war is sobering indeed. I read a report today that to encourage and train his troops, Saddam Husseinhas distributed copies of "Black Hawk Down." I dearly pray that it doesn'tbecome that.
das417 05 May 2012
Love is War
Vietnam in the early 1950's was torn apart by civil war as the French,in a vain attempt to hold onto one of their most important colonialholdings, battled against a Communist independence movement. Britishreporter Thomas Folwer (Michael Caine) is a dedicated, if not detached,observer of events. However, despite a major war tearing apart thecountry around him, Thomas spends most of his attention on his youngmistress Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). His life is one of simplicity androutine that even war doesn't seem able to change.However, that does change when a young and idealistic American namedAlden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) arrives in Vietnam with the American aidmission. A man who is passionate about helping what he sees as atroubled country threatened by the evils of Communism, Alden findshimself suddenly obsessed with the young Phuong. Thomas, at firstfinding Alden at first rather amusing, is soon annoyed and troubled atthe idea of having the American stealing away the woman he loves.There are several other issues that quickly begin to overwhelm Thomasand his otherwise comfortable life. His home office in London isdemanding his return while his wife, the woman he is really married to,is refusing to give him a divorce so that he could marry Phuong. Toanswer the first problem he devises a plan to sneak into the actual warzone itself to discover a story that would allow him to stay in Vietnamlonger. To deal with the second problem will take more thinking andconsideration.The Quiet American, at first a slow movie despite the fact that Alden'seventual death is made clear in the beginning, soon becomes one ofintrigue and political mystery. Thomas begins to suspect that there ismore to Alden and his story of wanting to help the Vietnamese. A recentmove by Vietnamese General Thé (Quang Hai) to gain political andmilitary power has Thomas convinced that there is something else goingon and his suspicion falls again on Alden.The only way to answer the question of who Alden really is, and wherethe moral ambiguity of the story and its characters begins, comes inthe form of a terrorist attack which kills dozens of innocentcivilians. Alden, instead of a simple and caring American out to helpVietnam, is in fact a CIA operative who is funding Thé who himself isresponsible for the bombing. As with any crusader out to save theworld, Alden believes that breaking a few of the proverbial eggs isacceptable if it will bring the greater good. Thomas, who claimed thathe never got involved with the stories around him, now finds himselffacing the question of not if but how he will become involved in orderto stop the madness around him.A political and historical story of two men in the middle of a veryconfusing moral situation, The Quiet American is very much a reflectionof today's current political and international crisis. However, it isalso the story of about two friends who find themselves not onlydivided by political belief but also because of the love for a woman.Love, as both men discover, is also war. And as with any war, there arealways casualties.8/10
ruiresende84 04 May 2012
Diolacton
This is good work. I came to it because i've recently re seenMinghella's Talented Mr.Ripley. This one had Mighella as an executiveproducer and, in fact, it has much of the strength in mood that he isoften able to give his films. That mood is based on specific culturalenvironments. That environment is always en formed by strong musicalnotes (here is another, quite good soundtrack work).Here we have something particularly interesting: the initial shot. Thisis made of a still landscape shot over the river in Saigan. We get tosee more than half the screen with river water, boats on it, houses,and bombs/explosions in a last plan. Than, suddenly, the camera movesdown, and we find out a dead body inside a boat right below us. Allthis is completed with sounds from the explosions and the off voicenarration by Caine, quite meaningful in its words to the wholedevelopment. The scene has (as most of the first scenes in films) thepower to take us into the specific world of the film. One has toappreciate how remarkably economical this one is done.So now we have the mood, the environment, we have a war, a orientalsociety, and foreign folks involved. Now the cinematic theme (instraight relation to the story told): all this is made around "seeing".Every faction in this conflict (the historic war conflict and thedramatic conflict between our three protagonists) has its ownparticular way to See things and always makes the effort to bend theworld to that vision. So we have the clear as water war situation.Communists, French, general The and the "third way" (americans). TheySee things their own way and more: they try to make people see theother factions the way they themselves see it. Check it: -the bombs one faction places in order to make people believe otherfaction did it;-Fraser's character who makes himself look like medical assistant (whoincidentally heals an eye disease) while in fact moves his way insecret to create the things he wants people to see (and interpret in aspecific way); -Diolacton, the product which is passed as being something to use inseveral products (among those it is supposed to strengthen eye glasswires!) but in fact is a compound used to produce bombs; Than we have our love triangle. Fraser (as a participant) and Caine (asa observer, a man who "Sees") link this story to the globalenvironment. Phuong's vision is in fact her sister's vision: marryingthe sister with an occidental man who can be married. Both men placetheir personal interests into trying to get the girl.All this construction is intelligent, the mood is well placed (and thefirst scene has lots to do with it), and the music is really powerfulin driving emotions, almost replacing what in other pictures would bemade through physical actions. The weak link here is Fraser. He is notthe guy for the role which, here, was really important, as a pivot, asdisestablishing element. I care about some of his works as a comedian,but he clearly doesn't know very well what to do here, and sometimes heeven becomes funny when he's supposed to be intense (in a dramaticway). Caine is many times in other films just vapid and grabbed to hisBritish posture as en former of his roles, but here he reallyunderstands the job, and delivers. He is the "quiet" actor, no Fraser.My evaluation: 4/5 http://www.7eyes.wordpress.com
real_hiflyer 03 May 2012
The Quiet American - an excellent and extraordinarily movie on every level.
I've been watching quite a few movies lately. I was disappointed inThere Will Be Blood, more so with 3:10 to Yuma, and so on. Then I watcha movie I'd never heard of called The Quiet American. Since then I findmyself returning to this movie. Comparing the merits of others incomparison. When my friends ask me if I can recommend something tothem. When I think of the movies I've seen over the years. I return tothis movie.Set in the period when transition was bringing American forces intoVietnam as the French withdrew, it was something I knew little about upuntil then. I always enjoy when a film educates and this one got meinterested in researching the actual events in more detail on the net.But none of this is it. What this movie does is present a moving storyof the lives of those affected during this time. It gave us Vietnamese,British, and American characters who were all too human, and allowed usto identify with each of their predicaments. And Michael Caine, bothnarrating and starring in this movie, in my opinion did some of thebest work I've ever seen him do. With strong support from the rest ofthe cast, beautiful photography which showed us both the beauty ofVietnam, and the ruin that war causes.So I could go in depth with everything I liked about this movie. Couldgo on for quite a while. But my best advice is simply to watch it. Tobe drawn into a story and have it resonate with you for a long periodafter, is, after all is said and done, one of the highest complimentsone can offer.Thanks to Mr. Caine and everyone else involved.If the highest purposeof movie making it to tell a story, and do it well, this succeeds andthen some.
David Daniel Ball 02 May 2012
Stunning beauty, marred by politics
The Quiet American has all the stunning beauty that Vietnam has tooffer. Exotic, Eastern history, mixed with European colonialism meetingresurgent, brash US culture and the moral decay of communism. Yet themoral decay of communism is not portrayed as such. Instead, there isthe same suggestion of admiration for desperate communist forces whichso mirrors the opinions of those that cannot quite criticize terroristactivity. The circle of silence which envelopes such lands intransition is well portrayed, and exploited by The Quiet American.Should France have made their attempt to reclaim the former colony?What were the US motives? The Chinese? Russia? Che Guevarra and Cuba?What of the people themselves, Vietnamese, from the mountains to thevalleys. None is able to show what they want, what they do, for thereis a murderous undercurrent as there is a beauty. The acting is superb,and all the basic elements of a great film are there. However,ultimately, it is the direction that prevents this film from rising toachieve what it might have, to inform and portray. Instead, itcolludes, and many who struggled to survive the aftermath may well feelbetrayed.
gromit-17 02 May 2012
A movie almost too quiet!
For some reasons, I consider this movie an odd movie. It's sort of out ofplace. The story, the cast (Brendan Fraser is a mid-cast), the atmosphereand the focus... and so on. I finally realized that it's just not a verygood movie to start with. Michael Caine is amazing though. To be honest,he's not much to look at, and the character he portrays is pathetic. Butwhenever he is on the screen, I can't turn my eyes away from him. His actingis so subtle, minimalist yet mesmerizing. But other than that, there's notmuch meat in this movie. All Vietnamese characters are so flat. You see thembut never understand what's on their mind.
manicdrums 02 May 2012
excellent adaptation of an excellent Graham Greene novel
Caine is perfect as the disaffected British journalist in Saigon duringthe1950's. Brendan Fraser is wonderfully three dimensional as the Americanwhois more than he at first appears. As the plot develops (in typicallylanguid Greene style), the tension builds between the main characters,until the last half hour, which moves at a comparatively breakneck speedtoits conclusion. The atmosphere is certainly reminiscent of "The Year OfLiving Dangerously", but this is not a bad thing. One might even thinkitwas all an opium hallucination. Considering we are seeing it all fromthevantage point of Caine's character who is, in fact, an opium addict,thisis entirely appropriate.
gareth_williams_1987 25 April 2012
A great film
I love drama films. I like films that can really make me just go "oh mygod". A good drama film in my opinion has to have a realistic storylinethat really grasps us. This film does more than an excellent job ofdoing that. Michael Caine is to be fair washed out to the youngergeneration, as a young person myself I wasn't expecting much from thisfilm. I was expecting a drama film which gave us something to laugh at.I was so wrong about that, yes there are a few laughable times butnearly every bit of the film just kept me wondering what was going tohappen next and I liked that. I think it was a very well made film andI'm glad I watched it. I felt attached to the film and the whole endingwas really well performed. The innocence of the actors feelings amazedme. Watch this film, it is well worth your time and pleasure.
syohanan 24 April 2012
"Sooner or later..one has to take sides...
if one is to remain human."The faces of politics/war easily suffocate us as individuals. However, as weso often try and "run" from conflict...in the end human nature takes overand forces us to react.Phillip Noyce (director) and Christopher Hampton (screen writer) carefullycraft Graham Greene's novel, "The Quiet American", into a tremendously richfilm of love, war, politics, power and seduction. Noyce subtly uses thebeautiful landscape of Vietnam to set an enigmatic tone from the outset ofthe film. Michael Caine, one of the greatest actors of his generation, isabsolutely flawless in the lead role and Brendan Fraser is brilliant asAlden Pyle..a.k.a "The Quiet American." Fraser proves once again, that givena powerful script and a strong actor to support him ("Gods and Monsters")his talent as an actor blossoms. Fraser all too often makes poor filmchoices ("Monkeybone", "Dudley Do-Right" and "George of the Jungle"), butthen again Caine too had his faults (Jaws: The Revenge"). We must notconcentrate so much on a person's mistakes, but must admire them for theirachievements.Caine and Fraser work brilliantly together in this film set against thebackdrop of the French occupation of Vietnam, and the beginning of the U.S.interest in the area because of the threat of Communism.Michael Caine undoubtedly deserved his nomination-nod for Best Actor as hetenderly portrays a man so desperately in love, but not necessarily deep inlust. His love for a woman, a friend, a wife, a land, and a cause are all atthe focal point of the film, and all are tested on severaloccasions."The Quiet American" is one of the best films of the year!For more top-notch work from Phillip Noyce in 2002 I recommend "Rabbit-ProofFence". An epic-tale of determination, and what the heart, of even littlechildren, can accomplish.
ian_harris 22 April 2012
Superb Movie - one of the Best of 2002
Well I'm a sucker for Vietnam so perhaps I'm biased, but I thought this filmwas superb. I've never much liked Michael Caine, but I found himsurprisingly good in Hannah and Her Sisters and now I find him quiteexcellent in The Quiet American. Supporting actors were also very good, aswas the cinematography and direction. Forget the claptrap about this beingan anti-American piece; it is a piece about the unanticipated consequencesof actions in domestic, political and geopolitical situations. GrahamGreene understood and interpreted these issues brilliantly and the filmconveys that meaning extremely well. One of the best films of 2002, even ifit was really made in/for 2001.
acearms 21 April 2012
Only the gullible could accept this one.
I like Bredan Fraser and Michael Caine; two of my favorites. But this moviebased on Vietnam in the early 1950s is not that great. Fraser's characterturns out to be a CIA operative in the disguise of a medical person whofalls in love at first sight with the girl friend of Caine's character andwants to marry her NOW. What hokum!! Caine's character discovers whoFraser's character really is and out of jealousy over the girl arranges tohave him killed. There are scenes of car bombs, battles and massacres alongthe way as sub plots, but otherwise somewhat boring. Okay to watch if youhave nothing better to do.
Kirk Williams 16 April 2012
very good
I've been wanting to see this movie since I heard it was in production, andI finally did recently. Excellent film, but be forewarned if you'reexpecting an action/war flick: not to be found here. The pacing is veryslow, but that's not necessarily a complaint. Lots of long (as in time-wise)shots, slow pans, etc., but the scenery and colours are all rather striking,so it works well. I'll keep it short, but Michael Caine turns in a wonderfulperformance...oscar-worthy in my opinion. On the other hand, Brendan Fraseris his usual dorky self, but it fits with his naive, misguided character.So, basically, see it if you can...not sure what kind of release it hadstateside, due to the subject matter.
Ben Burgraff 16 April 2012
Michael Caine Superb in Vietnamese Drama...
THE QUIET AMERICAN, Phillip Noyce's adaptation of the Graham Greene novel,is among that small subgenre of films (THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY, UNDERFIRE, SALVADOR) where journalists, writing in war-torn countries, discoverconspiracies that undermine everything they've come to accept as true. Thesefilms are inevitably controversial, as they deal with actual places andhistorical events, and they demand an open mind, as they often portraygovernments in a less-than-flattering light. While the revelations of thestories aren't always entirely true, each film of this group arewell-crafted, and certainly thought-provoking.The film is told as a flashback, as the corpse of murdered American AldenPyle (Brendan Fraser) is found, floating in the Mekong, in 1952. During theFrench police investigation, the story unfolds...Thomas Fowler (Oscar-nominated Michael Caine) is a veteran Britishjournalist ("I prefer reporter," he jokes), writing in Saigon as the Frenchfought the Communists in Indochina. Jaded and complacent, he onlysporadically submits an article, devoting his time to a mildly hedonisticlifestyle, and his beloved mistress, beautiful young Phuong (portrayed bythe stunning, if not overly talented Vietnamese actress, Do Thi Hai Yen).When young Pyle arrives, purportedly joining the American mission to treateye disease among the Vietnamese, the older man is immediately impressed byhis quiet, respectful, almost naive innocence. Introducing the American toPhuong, Pyle is immediately attracted to her, and, upon discovering Fowleralready has a wife, in England, he begins wooing the girl, much to thechagrin of the reporter.As his paper is threatening to return Fowler to England, taking him awayfrom Phuong, he announces he is involved in a major story in the north, andleaves to investigate reports of Communist activities. What he finds is amassacre, with responsibility denied by both sides. Joined by Pyle ("Ididn't want to propose to Phuong behind your back"), the pair barely make itback alive. Although the 'official' story blames the Communists for thedeaths, Fowler doesn't believe it, and begins investigating inearnest.A new military leader emerges, General Thé, opposed to both the French andthe Communists, and Caine suspects his forces as the true perpetrators ofthe massacre. Visiting the elusive general's headquarters, he finds Pylerunning a clinic, and the General apoplectic when he asks who is providingthe arms and funds for his army. Again, with Pyle's assistance, he barelyescapes with his life...and a growing suspicion that the United States istaking a less than neutral role in the intrigue...While the film's climax will come as a surprise to no one, and the 'lovetriangle' lacks much spark (other than from Caine, who is totally believablewhen he confesses that without Phuong he would "start to die"), the film isengrossing, throughout. Brendan Fraser, as the enigmatic title character,does a very credible job in a complex role, after a somewhat shaky firstmeeting with Caine. The lack of chemistry between him and Hai Yen couldeasily be explained away as a natural reticence from her character towardsany man saying "I love you", in a society where sexual favors are easilypurchased. She seems far more comfortable and believable in her scenes withCaine, despite their major age difference.Ultimately, the film is a triumph for Michael Caine, who again proves why heis one of the finest actors of his generation. As a man who goes fromindifferent complacency to active participant by the film's climax, he isnever less than superb. This is certainly one of the better films of 2002!
ccthemovieman-1 14 April 2012
Caine, Fraser Excel In This 'Sleeper'
This is a well-acted beautifully-filmed movie that surprised me in goodit was. It's one of those "sleepers," meaning a good movie that getslittle notice.I found it interesting from the get-go with Michael Caine doing asuperb job, one of the highlights of his distinguished career. Somehave even called it his best performance. The same might be said ofBrendan Fraser, too, someone who is more known for his lower-browcharacters in far less-intelligent films. Those two and Do Thi Hai Yencomplete the threesome who excel in the leads. The fact this film takesplace in Vietnam and she is Vietnamese makes her all the morebelievable.The colors in this film are very pretty, interiors and exteriors. Theonly negative I had was the obvious political bias in here: Left Wing,of course,(are there any Right Wing-slanted films?) off the novel fromthe very Liberal Graham Greene. The movie paints an unflatteringpicture of the early days of America's involvement in Vietnam withFraser playing "The Ugly American."Politics-aside, at least half the film is really a love story, as bothmale leads go after the same woman (Hai Yen). That has a strangeending, is all I will say. All the way through the movie builds insuspense and intrigue in both the politics and the romance. I've seenit twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. It's a well-made movieand one that could be enjoyed many times.
connie 14 April 2012
a god and the Truth
I don't know why it took me so long to realize that Michael Caine is a god. His intelligence always dominates the screen. I usually like BrendanFraser, but he is so over-shadowed by Michael Caine, even though Caine is somuch older. He still has it.Everyone should know that this film was held back by Miramax because of9/11. They thought it would be a bad idea to release a film critical ofU.S. government policy, even policy in the distant past. Maybe thegovernment had a hand in this decision. This film presents in a concisemanner the history of how the U.S. got involved in Vietnam. Other filmsthat relate the U.S. history of over-throwing foreign governments,assassinating foreign leaders, and installing puppet regimes are: "JFK"(Oliver Stone), "Bowling for Columbine" (Michael Moore, whose publishertried to withhold his book "Stupid White Men" after 9/11), and "Cover-Up" bythe Christic Institute. The latter is about the CIA being behind the importof drugs to this country, and about the Republicans making a deal with theIranians to delay the release of the hostages so that Carter wouldn't bere-elected (Carter had fired 700 CIA secret operatives, who got together tomake sure one of their supporters got in the White House). See these filmsto see the role of the CIA and other covert operations agencies' power asthe shadow government of the U.S.
brocksilvey 13 April 2012
Not Quite Like the Experience of Reading Greene, But What Is?
A movie version of the Graham Greene novel "The Quiet American" seemedoddly out of place in 2002 for some reason. But it's a pretty goodadaptation of one of Greene's lesser known works.Michael Caine is wonderful as an older, wearier spy who teams up with ayoung American in 1950s Vietnam, only to fall into a vicious mire ofbitterness and jealousy as he begins to suspect that the American isstealing the heart of his beautiful -- and much younger -- nativegirlfriend. The film is much more plot driven than the novel, so it'snot as rich an experience as reading Greene. But everyone involved,especially Caine, tries hard to get at the themes that make Greene'sfiction so rewarding, and they could have done much worse.Grade: A-
eastbergholt2002 12 April 2012
Excellent
The Quiet American is an enjoyable and intelligent film about Vietnamin the early 1950s. On the surface it can be viewed as a film about twomen fighting over a girl, but it also provides an interestingcommentary on post-war geopolitics. The film is set in 1952 when thethreat of "world communism" became an obsession for many. Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine) is a cynical London Times correspondentbased in Vietnam. Fowler is an older man, living with a beautiful youngVietnamese mistress called Phuong. Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) is ayoung, energetic, American idealist who befriends Fowler and latersteals his girl. Fowler is jaded, lazy and selfish. He doesn't want toreturn to the UK. Pyle wants to rescue Phuong from what he considers tobe a bleak future with Fowler. He offers marriage and Phuong accepts.She wants someone affluent to look after her. It's never clear whethershe really cares about either Fowler or Pyle. The relationship and competition between Fowler and Pyle can beinterpreted as a metaphor for the post-war relationship between theU.S. and the European colonial powers. Pyle considers French efforts todefeat the communists in Vietnam as ineffectual. He doesn't like theway the Europeans exploit their colonies and treat people like secondclass citizens in their own countries. Pyle wants the Europeans out ofthe way so that America can lead the struggle against the communists;he favors a Third Way. We eventually find out that Pyle is a senior CIA agent and the "ThirdWay" involves the U.S. putting its own thugs in charge. America's manis General Thé who commits two atrocities witnessed by Fowler, one inwhich women and children are killed. Pyle recognizes that the generalis cruel and ruthless, but doesn't appreciate that backing violentthugs like the general is not in America's long term interests becauseit alienates the local population. Fowler doesn't approve of thecarnage that develops and helps the communists to assassinate Pyle.The communists are viewed sympathetically, they are presented asnationalists who just want to get the foreigners out of their country.The film presents the case that the domino theory was wrong and theVietnamese just wanted their country back. According to this film theysupported the Russians because they funded their independence struggle.The problem was that pushing the Europeans out of their colonies left avacuum leaving the U.S. to become the world's policeman. I don't knowenough about Vietnam to know whether the movie is historically accurateor whether the CIA had a master plan for the country back in 1952. Butit is an interesting and thought provoking film. The film revolves around the complex characters of Fowler and Pyle,Caine and Fraser do an excellent job in bringing the characters to lifeand making the film work.
Spaceygirl 08 April 2012
Quietly wonderful
The Quiet American is an unassuming little film, compelling some people tothink that its boring. It is, in fact, anything but boring. It tells thetale of a woman caught between two men, which in itself is merely a plotcontrivance comparing Vietnam to a woman caught between two lovers. In fact,the script has one of the main characters explaining this veryfact.The acting is outstanding - Michael Caine is in top-form and Brendan Fraserdelivers a career-best performance. The two main leads are so believablethat the lines between "good guy" and "bad guy" are blurred. All we're leftwith are two flawed characters trying to make the best of a bad situationwhich they find themselves in. They're both such gentlemen that one finds oneself empathising with eachcharacter which is extraordinary in an age where movies clearly define the"good guy" and the villain.An outstanding film, one that I can wholeheartedly recommend.
Rockwell_Cronenberg 08 April 2012
A solid political and romantic thriller.
Phillip Noyce's The Quiet American plays into his wheelhouse as apolitical thriller, but the more interesting aspect of it (on paper) isthe love story centered at the middle of it. It's adapted from theGraham Greene novel of the same name and it feels as though it comesfrom another era. Taking place in Saigon in 1952, on the brink of theVietnam War, the whole thing has this intriguing neo-noir tone as itboils down in the Vietnamese heat. We center on Thomas Fowler (MichaelCaine), a British reporter living in Saigon with Phuong (Do Thi HaiYen), his extramarital lover, when an American named Alden Pyle(Brendan Fraser) comes into their lives and shakes everything up. Thetwo begin a classic game of vying for Phuong's affection, with acountry falling apart in the background.It's an interesting set up and I think that Noyce was able to establishthe perfect tone for it, feeling like the kind of noir romanticthriller that would have come right out of the time period. The runningtime is brief, clocking in at almost exactly 90 minutes, and so hedoesn't waste any scenes, with each one providing something necessaryfor either plot progression or character development. It flies by at asmooth pace, never getting ahead of it's audience but never dragging orfeeling like it's pandering either.Michael Caine guides the film as someone with his skill was born to do,taking the whole thing in his grasp and commanding every moment of it.He's in almost every scene and his presence was what drove the film themost, crafting a rich and empathetic character despite his seeminglydetached emotional position when it comes to the political conflicts athand. It's ultimately a story of a lost man, lost in country and inhimself, having to look inside himself and discover the things thatmatter to him. There's a lot of development for his characterthroughout the picture and as we get into the final act it'sfascinating to watch Caine unravel and peel back the layers of thisman. It's the kind of performance from a veteran actor where you cantruly feel the decades of this man's life being worn on everyexpression he makes and the way he holds himself. A very strong workfrom him, that unfortunately isn't quite matched by Fraser or Yen.Brendan Fraser does his best but he's just not a deep enough actor tohandle the complexities of Pyle, although when the character isintroduced as a naive piece of wood he fits the part to a tee. Yen isprobably the biggest detractor of the film, because thanks to herdreadfully flat performance the whole romance angle doesn't work theway that it should have. Caine lifts the project up and Noyce does agood job of bleeding together the romantic plot with the largerpolitical scope of it, but her performance drags it down a bit andkills a lot of the romance angle. Still, definitely a quality filmoverall thanks to a tremendous performance and some fine writing anddirecting.