Song lang

The heart of this story is the cai-luong theatrical style which is a Vietnamese style of folk opera very similar to Chinese opera in the 12 tone scale. The singer/actors have gone to great lengths to provide a perfect as possible recreation of the sound and story of the opera. The surrounding story is also operatic in nature, with two young men who have similar backgrounds but have taken different paths meeting and getting to know each other through coincidental meetings with each helping the other in some fashion. Linh, the singer, believes in time travel which is the core of the surrounding story as each character revisits particular moments in the path that shaped their future direction.

This is the Vietnamese excellent movie, mentioned about the traditional performance (cai luong) and the moment of boys love

This movie moves me so so much. The camera work is execellent, beautiful shots. The acting of both the lead and supporting actors is great. The retro theme of Vietnam is poitrated to detailed levels, even the gift warp... I saw some commenting about this not being a real boy-boy relationship just a friendship. That is so wrong. The realtionship is so sutle, sophiticatedly pictured and that is a beauty of it. Gay love should not be all about hot scences... I wish there were more Vietnamese films this good. I am sure there will be but can someone speed it up.

I give a lot of harsh critism toward Vietnamese movies since the day I decided to watch more movie produce from my country in order to find the same on the edge of the seat feeling that I got from other film industry in the West and the East until Furie ( 2019) and just now Song Lang (2018) make my heart burst into tears for how much well shot, well directed, well acting and most importanly how much emotionally invested I am with the characters. I don't normally seek out movies that touch on the LGBT subject because it's not my cup of tea when I'm more of a a action, horror person myself but in the case with Song Lang it not only a beautifully make movie with great cinematography and nailed the retro scenery of Vietnam down to a T but it also a heartfell drama story about two guy each from opposite site settle down their differences and learn how to love themselves more. It such a damn shame that right now only Vietnamese people can see this movie because there no overseas release for Song Lang at all and I would love to see it got the attention it deserves in the future

There are many things to love about this movie: the believably written and acted dialogues that come out of both the main and supporting cast, the wonderful Cai Luong performances that portray the characters' unspoken yearnings, and the immaculate set design that pays attention to the smallest thing to make this world feel lived-in.

"Song Lang" takes inspiration from some of Wong Kar-Wai's works in its tonality, but everything else feels authentic and carefully crafted as a Vietnamese story, both in its world of retro Saigon and its people. While i personally feel that the movie holds itself together better in the first half, overall it is an intimate piece of cinema that would delight a chance-watcher with its earnest filmmaking.