Saturday, August 13, 2016

The Last Egg (Gái già lắm chiêu) (2016)

To launch my blog about films of any nationality you might overlook, let's begin with a Vietnamese film! My general impression is that Vietnamese movie makers seem more concerned about making money than actually making good films. The Last Egg is a living proof that Vietnam still has a long way to go in order to produce films that are entertaining AND good the way Korea does it.

Linh San (Diễm My) is thirty years old and is the chief editor of a popular fashion magazine named Belle. She is one of the most powerful women in Vietnam and resides in an affluent neighbourhood of Saigon. Moreover, she revels in living without a man by her side. However, her eccentric and blunt doctor (Việt Hương) tells her that after six months, Linh San will be unable to be pregnant.

One day, Thien Minh (Bình Minh), Linh San's new neighbour from across the street, moves in her neighbourhood. Then, Linh San's two best friends May (Diệu Nhi) and Oliver (Huỳnh Lập), respectively a nymphomaniac who changes boyfriends regularly and the "straightest gay man on Earth", will go to great lengths to push her towards Thien Minh. They both feel they are engaged in a race against Linh San's biological clock.

***

Speaking about storytelling, The Last Egg gives you the impression that you have seen its story in other films. Despite its attempt to surprise you with plot twists, it is a predictable comedy that just plays safe. It is the typical contemporary Vietnamese film that casts either a bunch of beautiful models or good-looking actors who have some training. All in all, the aim of the producers was just to entertain, which is a noble objective.

Despite its narrative flaws, The Last Egg can rely on an ensemble cast seasoned in comedy. Those who stood out were Huỳnh Lập and Diệu Nhi. While the former does not seem to take himself too seriously as the stereotypical gay friend every straight women wish to have, the latter showcases the full range of her comedic skills. If Diệu Nhi impressed you in the sitcom Chiến Dịch Chống Ế (personal translation: Anti-Celibacy Campaign) as a robotic woman who doesn't know how to attract men, she will blow your mind as the comic relief who makes things happen in the story and can handle sexual jokes more gracefully than American actors.

Overall, The Last Egg will certainly find an audience that enjoys blockbuster comedies modeled after Korean and Hong Konger films of the same ilk. Although it doesn't deserve a Golden Kite Award, the Vietnamese equivalent of the Oscars, The Last Egg is at its core a film that will lighten up your mood. Nothing less. Nothing more.

Rating: 2.5 / 5

Origin : Vietnam (2016)
Length : 95 minutes
Genre : Comedy
Director : Bảo Nhân
Starring : Diễm My, Diệu Nhi, Bình Minh, Huỳnh Lập and Việt Hương

1 comment: