El árbol de las mariposas doradas

I grabbed my first chance to see this film in the cinema on a big screen. The film is a wonder in so many aspects and definitely live up to its Camera d'Or at Cannes, and also my own expectation. I love how realistic and organic every scene is about the daily life in Vietnam from the big city to the rural area. The first half deceived me a bit into thinking how simple the film had been and then it went on to astonish me with its dreamlike second half, so mesmerizing and even haunting. There are just so many brilliant scenes. The scene of the fighting roosters in early morning is simply a masterful in long take but also a brief scene, like of the buffaloes blocking the road is immediately thought provoking. That ending is above all, to me simply perfect. It's just so wonderful I would love to meet the filmmakers and shake hand with all of them :)

I don't buy any of this arty nonsense about "life", "faith", "death" etc. All I know is that Thien An Pham's 'Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell' was 3 hours of my life I'll never get back, and anybody thinking of watching it would be well-advised to find something else. The film starts with a good idea, a sudden death, a bereaved relative, a search for meaning ... but then the central character Thien played by Le Phong Vu goes on an aimless odyssey through rural Vietnam in search of God-knows-what? For me, at least, the film could use basic editing and a narrative device. Tell a proper story why don't you? It's not without charm in places (for example, his chance meeting at a road stop with an old lady (Nsnd Phi Dieu) who sounds very wise, and the relationship between Thien and the orphaned son of his sister-in-law Dao (Nguyen Thinh) is quite touching), but is largely spoilt by having no clear purpose or pace. You can't really apply a 'one-take' mentality to a travelogue feature, it's just too slow. Magic Realism? Pah! And pointing a camera at something doesn't necessarily make for good camera work either, whatever the subject, certainly not the Caméra d'Or ("Golden Camera") the film was apparently awarded at Cannes 2023. And don't kid yourself the things will get better over time, they certainly don't. 'Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell' is a long drawn-out borefest and is frankly best avoided. The emperor really has no clothes!

Watching this film feels like sitting for three hours in a sauna waiting for something that never comes and that I don't even care about.

Usually, I love contemplative film where nothing happens. But it should come with a mastery in mise en scene, and a certain sobriety. Artistic boldness should still hold the audience for the duration to the very end. Yet this film offers nothing beyond its self-indulgent ravishing photography. The filmmaker clearly wants to inflict suffering on the viewer, but this experience is purposeless. And this sense of purposelessness, which one may assume is the philosophical meaning that the film tries to suggesst, is forced upon the viewer through half-hearted dialogue. In fact, the dialogue didn't hold enough attention in relating to the material around it to make it interesting.

It's simply an international coproduction by a Vietnamese filmmaker indented for highbrow international critics and festivals, made for the sake of being clever and 'cinephile'.

This film exposed me to the calm and simple life in rural Vietnam. This is definitely not an easy watch, and I'd recommend viewers to appreciate the serene narrative set within a dilemmatic situation.

I've not experienced Vietnamese culture, but I do get a rough idea of its relevance growing up in Southeast Asia. Majority of the film's scenes have a tranquil backdrop, yet it's inhabitants are constantly challenged with the realities of life.

To sit in a dark cinema for 3 hours observing the slow pace of life while contemplating the hidden meanings within the structures and nuances of life as a young Vietnamese, I feel refreshed and grateful for this cinematic experience.

This is a truly magical and spiritual movie. The main character is literally a magician who shares the same name as the filmmaker, so it's safe to say he's the magician here. There's hardly a simple shot in this film that stays simple for long; just as you settle into a composition and setting, it transforms into something else. You find yourself wondering what else is in store, and it never disappoints-it gets more magical with every second. There are so many long takes that seem absolutely impossible to pull off, and the narrative tools are used masterfully. You might call it poetic realism, magical realism, or even epic banal, but nothing happens randomly in this movie. Everything feels precise while also being spontaneous and surreal.

While many hyped films and well-known filmmakers are racking up awards for cinematography each year, I'd argue that this is the real achievement as a first feature from two Vietnamese collaborators: director Thien An Pham and cinematographer Dinh Duy Hung, who have only made two short films prior to this. The level of craft, skill, talent, and precision in this movie is just unbelievable.

In terms of filmmaking style, you can see influences from renowned directors like Abbas Kiarostami, Michael Haneke, and Carl Theodor Dreyer. These filmmakers often take a minimalistic approach in their storytelling, camera techniques, and overall craft. They also use naturalistic dialogue and long takes with non-professional actors-qualities you can see reflected in this film. And it's not just about visuals and sound design; many dialogues sound simple but are incredibly profound. Often, these dialogues are visually understated yet meaningfully elevated by the environment and surrounding sounds. The filmmaker draws inspiration not only from cinema but also from other art forms like Chinese scroll paintings and photography.

From the very first scene, this movie sets the mood and themes for everything that follows. It explores searching for meaning in life, the impermanence of existence, loss and grief, faith and spirituality, memory and nostalgia, family connections, cultural identity, and ultimately a quest for self or personal identity, a journey of self-discovery.

What's holding me back from giving it a solid 9 or 10 are a few things. If it were an hour shorter, it could easily be one of my favorite movies of the year. The last hour has some scenes that don't really contribute to the plot or character development; they feel like they're just there for the sake of being there. Also, while most dialogues are simple yet beautiful and profound, some come off as too expositional and heavy-handed with the themes. But the biggest reason is that the film feels emotionally distant. While it follows the style of filmmakers like Kiarostami, that doesn't mean it couldn't evolve and deepen its emotional resonance-though it does push their sensibilities forward in other ways.

All that being said, watching this movie was an exceptional experience that reminded me of what cinema can be and do-especially from emerging artists with fresh voices. Do yourself a favor and watch this film; it's a must-see!