At The Height Of Summer Details

Returning to the languid intensity of The Scent of Green Papaya after the bristling vibrancy of Cyclo, Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung has produced another film of immense beauty and psychological significance. But it's also a tad convoluted and precious. There is such a focus on aquatic symbolism and the essence of ritual that it's easy to become distracted from the problems facing three Hanoi sisters, each of whom is guarding a secret. Both Le Khanh and Nguyen Nhu Quynh impress as wronged wives, but only Tran Nu Yen Khe's ambiguous relationship with her brother is untainted by sophisticated soap operatics.

Tran's third feature, the polar opposite of Cyclo, has a very Asian concern with 'face' - with the importance of... read more on Time Out