On 'Past Lives,' Duyên, and the Complexities of Vietnamese Diasporic Identities
Past Lives left me bereft, much like how the reunion of main characters Hae-sung and Nora concluded at the end of the film — that is, without much conclusion at all.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Bến Phà Xác Sống' Is the 2nd-Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I'm Sad It's Over.
The day when the Saigoneer team organized a little get-together to watch Bến Phà Xác Sống in the cinema, I was running seriously late.
Review: ‘Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng’ Is a Soul-Searching Mission in the Lâm Đồng Mist
On the pastures of slow cinema where Andrei Tarkovsky, Tsai Ming-liang and Theo Angelopoulos reside, Phạm Thiên Ân's debut feature, Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell), has made its...
Khôi Phạm in Rewind
1735 Km, the 2005 Road Trip Romcom That Could Have Been
In 2005, I was in middle school. I had never had a cellphone nor known what the internet was — our home didn’t have ADSL until ninth grade. Life as a fledgling pupil in Saigon revolved around homework...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: Wow! This Brochure for Vietnam Tourism Has a Plot and a Romance.
I was prepared to hate A Tourist’s Guide to Love on sight. As a movie setting, Vietnam has been burned by foreign productions one too many times, so I often find myself dry-heaving whenever any intern...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Maika' Is What Happens When You Take Children Seriously
Maika is a loving tribute to Vietnam’s childhood icon of the 1980s, but for those who didn’t grow up with the original Eastern European series, what’s in it for us?
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
Review: 'Monsoon' Peruses the Chasm Between Past and Contemporary Vietnam
Monsoon is Vietnam-shot film directed by Hong Khaou that was released earlier this year. It is spoken by Lee (David Tran) to Kit (Henry Golding) as they have tea on a Saigon sidewalk and referenc...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
'Ròm' Review: A Sterling Portrait of Saigon's Dark Underbelly, Despite Falling Short of Its Potential
I stepped out of the theater after watching Ròm with a heaviness weighing down my shoulders. It was, however, a refreshing feeling that one rarely experiences after a Vietnamese feature film these day...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: Despite Laughable Jump Scares, 'Bắc Kim Thang' Is Surprisingly Smart and Topical
With lush landscapes of the Mekong Delta as the background, Bắc Kim Thang is surprisingly wicked and intelligent, but most importantly, it provides feminist advocates a new way to topple the patriarch...
Khoi Pham in Film & TV
Co Ba Sai Gon: A Reverent Homage to Áo Dài and a Feast for the Eyes, but Not Much Else
When the poster of Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor) was unveiled for the first time, you could almost hear the sound of Old Saigon fans’ panties dropping all over town.
