User reviews

I don't understand why the studio satraps thought it necessary to embargo this film after 9/11, requiring persuasion on Michael Caine's part to get it to limited release now so as to qualify for Oscar nominations. The American role in Viet Nam is the subject of hundreds of books and countless articles - and not a few films. There is nothing unhealthy about the continuing debate and contrary to what some opine, I doubt American policy vis-a-vis Iraq has much lineal connection to the troubled saga of U.S. involvement in Indo-China, or its partial successor in hapless interest, the Republic of Viet Nam.

The Graham Green story has been filmed before (1958) but this is a pungent, attention-grabbing version, filmed in various parts of Viet Nam. The sultry and grasping humidity of the land almost comes off the screen. The story takes place in 1952 as the inept and poorly led French stumble towards their ultimate debacle at Dien Bien Phu (anyone interested in this story should start and finish with Bernard Fall's remarkable account of the French Army's Super-Alamo).

Caine, a Brit named Fowler, assures Brendan Fraser, a putative U.S. humanitarian officer named Pyle, that he is a "reporter," not a "correspondent." The difference to the easy-living Fowler is that the latter has a viewpoint, perhaps even a cause, while the former, as Sergeant Friday would say, only wants the facts.

This film really belongs to Caine and Fraser but one other character, the stunning Do Thi Hai Yep, Fowler's live-in girlfriend, deserves mention. She lights up the screen with both her calculating passion for, first, Fowler and then Pyle. Her character is realistically complex: I knew a number of such women when I was an Army officer and although the phrase isn't used here, she's a perfect example of the desperately ambitious, beautiful mistress whose only long-term goal is to be taken to "The Land of the Big P.X."

A series of experiences transform both Fowler and Pyle. Several of the scenes of violence are real enough but the music is intrusive. You don't hear music when people are dying around you. At least not performed by an orchestra.

This is the third recent film in which Michael Caine distinguishes himself by the depth of his acting (the others being "The Cider House Rules" and "Last Orders"). Caine's Fowler leaves us wondering as to what his motives are as he slowly changes before us. There's no clear answer and room for argument. His Fowler is both disturbing and ingratiating.

The audience in the East Village theater where I saw "The Quiet American" today clearly was made up of folks whose minds were settled as to U.S. involvement in Indo-China, never mind the later escalation in Viet Nam. Their grunts and laughs at certain points reflected their views. But the story told here is a faithful mirror of what in 1952 were complex questions in a scary world made scary by communism, not the liberal democracies. That mistakes of a grievous nature were made may be clear today but the road was ill-illuminated then. This film, and Caine's portrayal in particular, reflects the contemporary confusion and the unravelling of any hopes for a peaceful reunification of the two Viet Nams after the French defeat.

I hope this film gets a very wide distribution after it finishes its two-week Oscar-qualifying run.

8/10.

The story starts with the body of American Adrien Pyle , a medical specialist , being found in a river in Saigon . He has been stabbed to death and London Times journalist Thomas Fowler recounts to the authorities how he knew the man

TQE is a very strange film to comment on simply because I get the feeling that it is based on a very complex political novel by Graham Greene and it's interesting to note how many people on this page have commentated on how well or how badly it has been adapted to screen . It's also interesting to note that it was filmed in the spring of 2001 when George Bush's " war on terrorism " had not happened which clouds the issue more . People on the message boards have written many political threads to tie in with this but it's very interesting that Greene's original novel was written several years before Lyndon B Johnson sent combat troops to South East Asia , so Greene is criticisng American foreign policy in general and an intelligent , cogent way , not so much jumping on the fashionable bandwagon with Michael Moore , John Pilger and George Monbiot so I guess for that he deserves some credit

As a film what makes it so successful is with the casting . Michael Caine as we all know is a living legend and the fact that he has appeared in so many awful movies simply for the money while still retaining prestigious star quality speaks volumes for his talent and as you might expect in this type of role he's superb . What is even more amazing than Caine's performance is that of Brendan Fraser's as Adrien Pyle . I've just remembered how good he was in GODS AND MONSTERS and he's equally as good here as a man who's not what he seems to be . One can't help thinking how well he'd be regarded as an actor if he'd decided to skip THE MUMMY films which unfortunately seems to have prematurely killed his career . Certainly I wasn't reminded of Rick O'Connel while watching this

Where the film falters is - Again - where it shows its literary roots . There's no way you can confuse a Graham Greene novel with a Harold Robbins one , but there's maybe too much of a romantic subplot which gets in the way of the real story and you find your self questioning as to what the main story . Is it the political one or the love triangle ?

Michael Caine gives yet another outstanding performance in `The Quiet American,' Philip Noyce's 2002 adaptation of the Graham Greene Cold War novel (the first movie version was released in 1958). Set in 1952 Saigon, the film features Caine as Thomas Fowler, a world-weary British journalist who's been sent to Vietnam to cover the attempt by colonial French forces to hold back the communist insurgence from the North. But Fowler has a problem. Despite the fact that he is a reporter, he freely admits that this country exerts a sort of magical hold on him and that, in order to maintain that image, he must will himself to look beyond the ugliness and strife that are tearing the country apart. In fact, reporting is the last thing on Fowler's mind. He is even madly in love with a beautiful young Vietnamese girl who lives with him. When his publishers back in England threaten to call him back, Fowler realizes that he must become more actively engaged in the events around him if he hopes to be allowed to stay.

One day he meets Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), an American eye specialist who falls in love with Fowler's girl. Even though they are drawn together by much that they have in common, Fowler and Pyle soon become rivals for the woman, though by the end, their conflict has broadened to include the issues of war vs. peace, truth vs. deception, and personal feelings vs. political expediency.

`The Quiet American' is typical Greene in that it provides an intense personal drama played against the backdrop of geopolitical turmoil in an exotic setting. Both Caine and Fraser bring a quiet intensity to their scenes together. Caine, in particular, is brilliant at conveying the many moods of a man who wants to be left alone to live a simple life with the woman he loves but who knows that circumstances are conspiring to make such a life impossible. He is heartbreaking as he sees that ideal existence suddenly slipping away, with little he can do to stop it from happening. He also begins to see just how difficult it is to remain emotionally detached from the horrors happening around him once the atrocities begin to encroach on his world directly. Fowler also has to decide whether his final action is truly rooted in a humanitarian impulse or the product of wanting to eliminate a pesky rival from the field of competition.

In addition to telling a fairly solid story, `The Quiet American' also provides a glimpse into the history of its region, particularly showing how the Americans ended up usurping the role of the French in that far off, alien country in the late ‘50's and early ‘60's. This is reflected in a wonderful coda that chronicles the steps leading up to this slow handoff of power and responsibility.

But for all the film's various virtues, it is Caine's performance that is the real reason to catch `The Quiet American.'

Another one to file under "very well made but a little disappointing."

First of all: it looks pretty good, as Noyce is a talented visual director. There was one slightly cheesy explosion of a model that looked straight out of a 60s Godzilla film though- those substandard effects don't bother me in old monster movies, but they feel more noticeable in super serious romantic thrillers from the 2000s.

Michael Caine is very good, and I like seeing old Michael Caine offered a lead role, because for the last 20 or so years, it feels like he's always a supporting player. Brendan Fraser is good at first- I know we all stan and love him nowadays, but I do think he felt a bit out of his depth in the film's second half. His character is given more complex things to do as the plot gets more intense, and I didn't think he had the acting chops for it, sorry.

Also, the music is as a little overblown, and the female lead very underdeveloped, which made the romance angle a bit underwhelming. So it moves well, looks mostly nice, and has a strong lead performance, but it doesn't coalesce into something great. Was going to say this is the kind of movie that should be remade, but I guess this version already was a remake?

Oh well- remake it again! Give it three strong lead performances, more time to flesh out the lead female role, and maybe don't give away the ending at the start and we'd have something really good (I do think revealing the climax and then flashing back sometimes works, like in Double Indemnity, but here, it just robbed the film of most of its suspense and emotion to be honest).

Entertaining picture dealing with a central romance along with thrills , political details and warlike deeds about Vietnam war . A young naive American named Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) and a cynical older British journalist called Fowler (Michael Caine) disagree over politics in 1952 Vietnam and over a beautiful young native girl called Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen) . As a ¨quiet American¨ with dark secrets arrives in Saigon with his own plan to settle country's conflicts . As it's not clear whether Alden Pyle is just what he appears , as he seems to be an innocent Young American opposite the older, cynical Brit Thomas Fowler . Eventually Fowler must confront moral conflicts and the relationship between Pyle and him reaches some problems connected with a Vietnamese General , at the same time the war and a political upheaval take place .

Interesting second rendition of the Graham Greene novel including a love triangle , emotion , wartime events and many other things . The picture relies heavily on the love triangle between the ironical British reporter , his enticing mistress and the strange quiet American , but it doesn't boring , neither tiring and nor dull . Michael Caine is good as a correspondent covering a conflict and finding himself becoming personally involved when he befriends an American who is not all that he seems to and also falling for a beautiful young Vietnamese , a mesmerizing Do Thi Hai . The movie has its touching moments found primarily in the superb performances from trio protagonist . The film ends with newspaper stories written by Thomas Fowler about Vietnam from 1954 to 1966. However the book on which the film was based was published in 1955, so these are mostly events which happened after the book came out . The US release of this movie was delayed for more than a year by the terrorist attacks on the USA of 11 September 2001. The producers were concerned that it would be seen as anti-American.

Miramax had paid $5.5 million for the rights to distribute the movie in North America and some other territories, but then shelved it for a long time. Miramax even planned to send this movie to go straight-to-video. But Michael Caine successfully persuaded Miramax to screen this movie at 2002 Toronto International Film Festival; the movie received many good reviews at the Film Festival, so Miramax decided to release this movie in the United States theatrically . This handsomely mounted flick was well directed by Phillip Noyce , a successful Australian director who filmed Dead Calm (1989), starring Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill and Billy Zane , it brought Noyce to Hollywood, where he directed 6 films over the next decade, including Patriot Games (1992) and Clear and present danger (1994) starring Harrison Ford, and The bone collector (1999), starring Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.

The first version with a very good cast such as Audie Murphy as the American , Michael Redgrave as Thomas Fowler , Claude Dauphin as Inspector Vigot , Giorgia Moll as Phuong Bruce Cabot as Bill Granger resulted to be more a killing mystery than the political/drama intented , while this last retelling turned to be more faithful to Graham Greene than Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1958 take on . In fact , in Europe, director-writer Joseph L. Mankiewicz was savagely attacked for his film's infidelity to the source novel by Graham Greene, not least by Greene himself. The screenplay essentially turns the novel inside-out, so that the blundering "quiet American", whose extreme naiveté causes tragedies .

I haven't read the original Graham Greene novel as I'm not a big fan of his, and was curious as to how his sentimental and "soft" personality would come to the big screen.

Some things didn't work too well. First off, the heavy reliance on narration almost works but not entirely. I wonder if a straightforward telling of an intriguing story might not have worked to better advantage rather than the flashback approach.

What DOES work brilliantly is the "love" story involving Michael Caine's character and his Vietnamese concubine. It's good to see Caine on top form after all these years of an outstanding, brilliant acting career on film. Do Thi Hai Yen's portrayal of Phong, his lover, is bewitching. She is distant and mysterious, perhaps too distant. There is something preposterous about Pyle's sudden intrusion into their lives. He enters the scene and simply takes what he wants from Fowler (Caine) with little resistance from the latter; a bit of Greene's "softness" coming into the lead character's personality perhaps. It rings a bit false, as does most of Pyle's behavior throughout. A chance to elaborate on Pyle's motivations is completely ignored in favor of a sort-of generic "ugly" American approach and consequently muting the impact of the outcome of the film.

Brendan Fraser, a brilliant comedian, is surprisingly good as the "heavy" Pyle. He looks like a beefy geek and conveys a mysterious under-pinning to the character that is left to the viewer's imagination as to what is really going on inside his head.

It's a good film but oddly muted. The technical aspects are excellent and the shots of Saigon before the Viet Nam war went into full swing are beautiful.

But if you want a more complete view of the French occupation of Viet Nam, pre-Lyndon Johnson, see 'Indochine' with Catherine Deneuve. Now THAT is a great film.

This version of 'The Quiet American' is good but nothing special, aside from the opportunity to see Caine in a highly nuanced performance late in his career.

Phillip Noyce achieves a remarkable triumph in his version of The Quiet American by staying true the Graham Greene's text. Christopher Hampton's adaptation of the book never strays away from the basic premise of the story. This film in someone else's hands would have probably evolved into a war epic. Noyce and Hampton stay focused on the two main characters, who, after all, are the key to the story.

It's hard to think Thomas Fowler was not tailor made for Michael Caine. He was born to play this part. His characterization of this troubled soul is remarkable. Mr. Caine gets the essence of Fowler without any effort, or so it seems. He is a jaded man who understands the Viet Nam before the American involvement. He knows he can't go home again to a loveless marriage, one in which he will not be able to escape after having experienced things he never would have thought possible in starchy old London.

Brendan Fraser is an actor with a lot of experience in the theater, even though his choices in films leave a lot to be desired. As he proved with Gods and Monsters, he can hold his own against a great British actor such as Ian McKellen, or on an equal footing with Michael Caine in this film. His take on Alden Pyle is as vicious, devious and sly as Graham Greene made him out to be. Mr. Fraser gets under the skin of Pyle with such flair in the creation of this enigmatic man.

The rest of the cast is not up to the two principals, but it's the confrontation between Fowler and Pyle what really makes this a tremendous acting feast.

...and yet I didn't get the sense that he will win it come next week- his performance is compelling and believable enough to carry this film to even longer lengths than it ends at, but it's not exactly his very best (not like say Cider House Rules or Hannah and Her Sisters). He indeed gets inside the Graham Greene character of Thomas Fowler, reporter for the London Times in 1952 Saigon, who is also in love with a beautiful Vietnamese girl. Enter in Brendan Fraser's character of Pyle, some sort of medical personnel, who quite congenially befriends Fowler, only to also fall for his girl. This in the scope of the French against the communist Vietnamese, making the atmosphere war torn.

While I have not read Greene's novel, it would seem that just from hearing Fowler's voice-over narration, brief and smart, the book is one of those that has the upper hand over the finished product of film. There is much merit to Noyce's adaptation, mainly due to Caine revealing depths on the nature of Fowler. And the love-triangle fused with the backdrop makes sense. It's Fraser who I though brings the film down in parts, for though he does what he can, he is severely overshadowed by the lead Brit. Not a great movie, but Caine fans will be delighted and Greene admirers should take a look as well. B+

In Saigon, 1951, Thomas Fowler (Michael Fowler) is an English journalist, married in England with a catholic woman, and in love with a Vietnamese girl, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). Thomas meets Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) in a bar. Pyle is a doctor working in an aid mission, and pretty soon, he falls in love with Phuong. Pyle offers her what Thomas is not possible to give, i.e., a marriage and escape of Vietnam. Meanwhile, the political situation in Vietnam is boiling, with the French trying to get control again of the country, the communists trying to impose their system to the South, and the American secretly giving support to a third Vietnamese part.

This romance is perfect: the outstanding performance of Michael Caine in the first plane, and Brendan Fraser (in his best role, since 'Gods and Monsters') and Do Thi Hai Yen are fantastic. The screenplay of Christopher Hampton, based in a novel of Graham Greene, is wonderful. And the direction of Phillip Noyce is magnificent, presenting the story in right doses of romance, drama, action and special effects. An overwhelming movie for all tastes. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "O Americano Quieto" ("The Quiet American")

A Quiet American follows the true story of a British journalist covering the Viet Nam tensions prior to the eventual war with the United States. The movie is an adaptation of a novel by the same name. Thomas Fowler, the journalist played by Michael Caine in this adaptation uncovers the CIA presence within South Viet Nam, undermining president Diem and promoting a "third force" as an alternative to the current president or communist rule from the north of the country. Fowler is a very headstrong character who is motivated by the truth as a journalist. This third force appeared to be led by General The, an opportunistic militant, however the reality was that he was under the guise of the American secret service- who secretly imported bomb making materials and eventually set one off in order to scare the Vietnamese public into support of the "third force". Fowler uncovers this and eventually has to choose his allegiances, to Alden Pyle, the befriended CIA agent or to the Vietnamese people. The movie was directed by Phillip Noyce and received positive reviews from both critics and the public. Caine received both an Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for best actor. One overarching theme of the film is how the characters relate to the historical events and the nations that played roles in the start of the Vietnam war. Fowler is representative of France and the wider Europe and their attitudes towards the control of post-colonial France. Pyle represents America and their political interests in the far east and interestingly Phuong, Fowler's mistress, represents the country of Vietnam. Within the film, a love triangle emerges between the three characters and this conflict is indeed a metaphor for the political turmoil between the three forces within the country. I would recommend this film to more mature audiences, to gain an understanding of the internal and international politics of the far east during the 1950s.

I liked this film more than I thought I would. Michael Caine (nominated for an Oscar for this role) plays a British journalist in Vietnam, durring the period before the French pulled out. The film follows his investigation of some atrosities his discovers, but treats that as a "B" story to the story of his relationship with a young vietnamese girl and his friendship with a mysterious American played by Brenden Fraser, who likes the same girl. Fraser is actualy quite good in this film, shedding his trademark goofieness from his more mainstream efforts. And Caine definitely captures your interest with his performance. The film kinda moves along slowly but it strangely held my attention and it does suck you in, especialy as they throw in some unexpected plot twists towards the end. GRADE: A

"The Quiet American" is a Drama - Romance movie in which we watch a British reporter with a Vietnamese woman, dealing with a young U.S. doctor who express his affection for her. The reporter has to figure out a way to work things out in order not to displease his girlfriend but also not to lose her.

I have to admit that I did not know what to expect from this movie but I was happily surprised by it. It had a nice, simple and interesting plot which was full of suspense, something that keeps you in tense through its whole duration. The interpretations of both Michael Caine who played as Thomas Fowler and Brendan Fraser who played as Alden Pyle were very good. Another interpretation that has to be mentioned was Thi Hai Yen Do's who played as Phuong and she was equally good. Finally, I have to say that "The Quiet American" is a nice and very interesting movie with some plot twists that you won't even imagine and I highly recommend everyone to watch it because I am sure that you will enjoy it.

I haven't seen the 1958 film of Greene's book, though I've heard that the American (played by Audie Murphy) is treated as more of a hero, which is not what Greene intended in his original work.

This new film directed by the talented Philip Noyce is closer to the original work and benefits from Michael Caine's presence as an aging British journalist who fancies himself a mere observer in the escalating warfare between the French colonialists and the Communist forces who want them out. He soon finds out that it's not so easy to maintain a neutral stance.

However, for the story to have its full impact, there needs to be a deep, palpable friendship between Caine's character and that of the title character (played by Brendan Fraser), who is not what he seems.

Unfortunately, that bond doesn't come through in the film at all. Most of the time we're treated to the romantic triangle consisting of these two men and Caine's Vietnamese mistress. The actress who plays this role is very pretty, but also quite dull which makes the character obtuse rather than mysterious. She and Fraser set off nothing close to sparks and her behavior isn't always believable. The woman who plays her sister is far more interesting and has less screen time.

The result of all this is that the tragic impact of Caine's actions near the end is muted and robs the film of the cumulative power of the story. The film is more interested in being a fast-moving quasi-thriller and it's pretty entertaining, if superficial, on that score.

I noticed that the version that Miramax has released in the U.S. has been cut by 18 minutes from what was shown at the Toronto Film Festival back in 2001. I wonder if that's partly responsible for the problem I mention above, or if it really didn't make any difference.

THE QUIET AMERICAN, Phillip Noyce's adaptation of the Graham Greene novel, is among that small subgenre of films (THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY, UNDER FIRE, SALVADOR) where journalists, writing in war-torn countries, discover conspiracies that undermine everything they've come to accept as true. These films are inevitably controversial, as they deal with actual places and historical events, and they demand an open mind, as they often portray governments in a less-than-flattering light. While the revelations of the stories aren't always entirely true, each film of this group are well-crafted, and certainly thought-provoking.

The film is told as a flashback, as the corpse of murdered American Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) is found, floating in the Mekong, in 1952. During the French police investigation, the story unfolds...

Thomas Fowler (Oscar-nominated Michael Caine) is a veteran British journalist ("I prefer reporter," he jokes), writing in Saigon as the French fought the Communists in Indochina. Jaded and complacent, he only sporadically submits an article, devoting his time to a mildly hedonistic lifestyle, and his beloved mistress, beautiful young Phuong (portrayed by the stunning, if not overly talented Vietnamese actress, Do Thi Hai Yen). When young Pyle arrives, purportedly joining the American mission to treat eye disease among the Vietnamese, the older man is immediately impressed by his quiet, respectful, almost naive innocence. Introducing the American to Phuong, Pyle is immediately attracted to her, and, upon discovering Fowler already has a wife, in England, he begins wooing the girl, much to the chagrin of the reporter.

As his paper is threatening to return Fowler to England, taking him away from Phuong, he announces he is involved in a major story in the north, and leaves to investigate reports of Communist activities. What he finds is a massacre, with responsibility denied by both sides. Joined by Pyle ("I didn't want to propose to Phuong behind your back"), the pair barely make it back alive. Although the 'official' story blames the Communists for the deaths, Fowler doesn't believe it, and begins investigating in earnest.

A new military leader emerges, General Thé, opposed to both the French and the Communists, and Caine suspects his forces as the true perpetrators of the massacre. Visiting the elusive general's headquarters, he finds Pyle running a clinic, and the General apoplectic when he asks who is providing the arms and funds for his army. Again, with Pyle's assistance, he barely escapes with his life...and a growing suspicion that the United States is taking a less than neutral role in the intrigue...

While the film's climax will come as a surprise to no one, and the 'love triangle' lacks much spark (other than from Caine, who is totally believable when he confesses that without Phuong he would "start to die"), the film is engrossing, throughout. Brendan Fraser, as the enigmatic title character, does a very credible job in a complex role, after a somewhat shaky first meeting with Caine. The lack of chemistry between him and Hai Yen could easily be explained away as a natural reticence from her character towards any man saying "I love you", in a society where sexual favors are easily purchased. She seems far more comfortable and believable in her scenes with Caine, despite their major age difference.

Ultimately, the film is a triumph for Michael Caine, who again proves why he is one of the finest actors of his generation. As a man who goes from indifferent complacency to active participant by the film's climax, he is never less than superb.

This is certainly one of the better films of 2002!

I read that there was a version of "The Quiet American" made in the 1950s. Since the Vietnam War had not yet happened - at least not its really famous stages - that version could have been seen as a warning. Since this one came out long after the Vietnam War (in fact, shortly before the invasion of Iraq), it's both a warning and saying "I told you so".

The obvious point is that this movie is not a war movie, but it's still a good look at what led up to the Vietnam War, as the young American agent (Brendan Fraser) comes in pretending to help the people but is actually coming to stir up trouble that the US can use as an excuse to invade. This may be the best role that he has ever done, to the extent that the movie would work equally well without the presence of a great actor like Michael Caine (no offense to Mr. Caine).

So, it's certainly one that I recommend, as a warning about the dangers of militarism, even in its most minimal form. Also starring Rade Serbedzija and Tzi Ma.

"The Quiet American" tells of an eternal triangle which evolves amid the tropical backdrop of Vietnam during the end of the French War in Indochina in 1952. The triangle includes a British reporter (Caine), and American aid worker (Fraser), and a Vietnamese beauty (Do Thi Hai Yen). The film opens after the stabbing death of Fraser's character and spends the rest of the run explaining the circ's which led up to the killing. Caine carries the film on his back with a solid performance while Fraser is unconvincing and the local beauty is just so much window dressing. A moderately interesting drama, "The Quiet American" squeaks by as a three star watch thanks to Caine, good atmospherics, location shooting, and some intrigues. Coulda, shoulda been better but an okay watch for most, especially those who got their Vietnam history lessons from the nightly news broadcasts of the 60's. (B)

Very good movie, close to the book. Recommended for everyone, especially for the ones who have read the book. Very very pictorial and beautiful, creates the atmosphere and impressions you'd have if you read the original story. The cast is wonderful; the actors' play is excellent. Besides, actor playing Fowler is from London, actor playing Pyle is American, so they look close to what the author of the book wanted them to be. Pyle, however, could be less bully-looking, in my opinion; I imagined him to be somewhat lighter, but I quickly forgot about it as the movie went on. The movie is built on contrasts: the contrasts between main characters, the contrasts of Vietnam, even the contrast in accents (I counted at least 5 different accents: British,American,french,strong/weak Chinese). Also, the movie is rather brief and is therefore quite dynamic, the time is not wasted in it. That's why it's only 3/2 hours long. This is the kind of movie that will not make you wait until it's finished. I highly recommend this movie for everyone with a taste for good movies.

This is a well-acted beautifully-filmed movie that surprised me in good it was. It's one of those "sleepers," meaning a good movie that gets little notice.

I found it interesting from the get-go with Michael Caine doing a superb job, one of the highlights of his distinguished career. Some have even called it his best performance. The same might be said of Brendan Fraser, too, someone who is more known for his lower-brow characters in far less-intelligent films. Those two and Do Thi Hai Yen complete the threesome who excel in the leads. The fact this film takes place in Vietnam and she is Vietnamese makes her all the more believable.

The colors in this film are very pretty, interiors and exteriors. The only negative I had was the obvious political bias in here: Left Wing, of course,(are there any Right Wing-slanted films?) off the novel from the very Liberal Graham Greene. The movie paints an unflattering picture of the early days of America's involvement in Vietnam with Fraser playing "The Ugly American."

Politics-aside, at least half the film is really a love story, as both male leads go after the same woman (Hai Yen). That has a strange ending, is all I will say. All the way through the movie builds in suspense and intrigue in both the politics and the romance. I've seen it twice and thoroughly enjoyed it both times. It's a well-made movie and one that could be enjoyed many times.

Estranged bedfellows fall in/out of love and war. The two halves of this film, political espionage and a love triangle offer little new on their own, but joined in unison here I felt worked well.

With Graham Greene as its source, I anticipated a lean film. I admired his dedication to writing as a craft, allegedly one who hit the typewriter as a master athlete hits the gym. On a side note, I've recently read "The Comedians" (a take on Papa Doc era Haiti with a requisite trying triangle of love).

I'm not a Greene thesis candidate, but it does seem in the books and movies I've seen, betrayal is never so much a surprise as it is a given. An anti-hero is presented to us, some sort of jaded burnt-out case. While he will swear no allegiance, no involvement; inevitably and inexorably he is drawn in. And often he's drawn in through a woman serving as a sort of beacon of purity.

Well purity is a bit strong, but she's nowhere near as jaded as our hero. When he's with her, through something more than sex (but certainly including sex), redemption is found. But that redemption is in a precarious position. A writer with a Catholic block indeed!

Well it works for me. I suspect most men will either love this or hate this, likely hinging upon if they fancy Do Thi Hai Yen as the love interest. Her halting English, and fallen "princess" in distress role may put others off. I found her the very essence of grace and enchantment.

Sorry if that seems sexist, I just wonder if women might resent the fact that she is often seen as an adornment, even twirling before our eyes in one lovely dance sequence. If we can glean anything from her placid yet powerful beauty, it is in the subtitles between herself and her sister.

More of those scenes would have been welcomed. However, it would be an entirely different film if we were allowed to drift away from Caine's/Fowler's strict perspective, and see the two sisters alone. Or see Fraser/Pyle alone with Hai Yen/Phuong. Their relationship hits an accelerator pedal during a voice-over that made some of the later set-up seem out of place to me.

But again, I did enter the triangle with Fowler as my touchstone. Without that, you are left with a thriller that is not meant to be a thriller (indeed we are presented the deceased in the opening scene). Or you are left with the politics which alone will upset certain viewers as being painfully true or preposterous propaganda. The left and right drift further apart, more lies ahead on both sides...hopefully no more My Lai's. To Greene's great credit, he was committed to characters as complicated as the crises they are embroiled in.

Anway, this garnered a

7/10

out of me. It was lean, and moved along at a nice pace (and I tend to round up a bonus point for "exotic" settings)

The Quiet American has won multiple awards, including "Movie of the Year" at the U.S. AFI Awards in 2003 follows Thomas Fowler, a British reporter, during his time in Saigon as he covered the war between the French and the Vietnamese Communists. The main characters included the British reporter, Thomas Fowler, his Vietnamese mistress Phuong, and the American spy, Alden Pyle. Thomas Fowler is an older British journalist that was stationed in Saigon to write stories. He was married to his Catholic wife in London but had another Vietnamese lover in Saigon who continually asked Fowler to divorce his wife so that they could be official. His lover, Truong, becomes a source of conflict between him and his American friend Pyle who is an American spy, unbeknownst to Fowler. The Quiet American takes place in Saigon during the 1950s and captures America's early involvement in the Vietnam war. Fowler embodies impartiality throughout the film as a journalist, a friend, and a lover. He values objectivity and does not like taking sides during conflicts. Another important character was the American spy Alden Pyle who is the fictional representation of CIA agent Edward Lansdale. Pyle had the opposite ideology of Fowler and believed that people should become involved, especially in the war. While Fowler liked facts, Pyle based a lot of his views on abstract ideas. Impartiality and action are important themes in the film and their most prominent example is at the end of the film where Fowler must decide whether or not to get rid of Pyle to save Saigon from further bombings or to stay impartial and keep his friend. Thomas embodies impartiality throughout the film until his final decision with Pyle. At the beginning of the film, he tells Pyle that as a reporter he has no opinion on the situation and never takes sides. Another important theme that arises in the film is death. As a reporter of the war, Fowler is constantly reporting on deaths and can never seem to escape it throughout the film. Death is the one thing that is absolute in Fowler's life. One of the biggest moments of death during the film was the bombing in Saigon that occurred just outside of a café that Fowler frequents. He saw many people torn apart, distraught, and killed in the city he lived in. I recommend this film to people who are interested in the Vietnamese war and want to see the war from a European perspective. The director of the film is an Australian named Phillip Noyce who started directing in 1977. This film is easy to watch although I would recommend reading about Vietnamese culture and the Vietnam war before watching for the best understanding of the film.