Touch

I understand the negative views, but only to an extent. This is one of those scripts that in the right hands (Jacques Audiard or Lynne Ramsay come to mind) and with a larger budget and name actors, would earn critical acclaim. The acting is serviceable and it looks like it was shot 30fps on a camcorder or early digital, but the story/writing/characterization is all there. Love an unconventional friendship narrative that brings two very different people together, without feeling unnatural and contrived. This is a solid movie with a unique, original, and touching story.

Anyways I saw this on Netflix and was reminded how much I liked it years ago. Appreciate it for its very unique strengths. I hope it gets it's day in the sun now that it's steaming.

This was a great surprise, a very unconventional film, about loneliness and connecting. It's about an encounter that gives a brief fulfilment to two people and changes their life for the better not for the best. Lovely acting, and top directing. There is yet another asian girl gripped with sadness, one can think. But here this is well balanced with funny trivial conversations that gives us an insight of the rather positive outlook on life of the Vietnamese people. Nevertheless this is a movie where there is little talk while lots of emotions are on display. A lot can go wrong in a film without monologues, but here the title is the key. I particularly loved the soundtrack, the music electrified and bind the actions together and gave this suburban tale an epic edge.

I really wanted to like this as I'm a westerner married to a Vietnamese in Vietnam with children. But I'm afraid I was disappointed. It starts out nice enough, original even, and I warmed to the lead actress. But as it went on, it got weird, icky weird and very cringey. I fast forwarded quite a bit. Could have been way way better than it was.

As I state in the Message Boards section, in Judaism it is taught, "Words that come from the heart go into the heart." It is obvious that this film came from the heart of Minh Duc Nguyen and that of each of the other artists. This movie will go directly into the heart of everybody who views it. The performances of Porter Lynn and John Ruby are sensitive, highly believable and magnificent. Indeed, every actor and actress in the movie is superb. Ms. Lynn and Mr. Ruby and numerous other artists in the film will no doubt be seen in many quality films to come. Many years ago, the paperback version of ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST included the blurb, "More, Mr. Kesey, More!" I borrow that entreaty. MORE, Minh Duc Nguyen, MORE! Many thanks to everybody who brought this film into being, most especially Minh Duc Nguyen. PLEASE make more movies! We desperately need films of this quality! Again, heartfelt thanks to every individual that made this film a reality.

Porter Duong plays a manic pixie dream girl named Tam without the manic. We know her back story but we don't know how she came up with her technique. And I'm not talking about manicures (but we don't learn much about that either.) She just happens to be a great manicurist after getting her certification!

The theme of the movie is one that needs to be explored in film. We human beings need touch, but in our family lives and in our relationship, we can be deprived of such touch. And one needs to understand non-sexual touch is healthy and therapeutic.

So where did Tam learn this? And can she be less creepy about teaching his lesson to John Ruby's Brendan. In the hands of a better director, we could have gotten more "Bliss," or perhaps an optimistic version of "Last Tango in Paris." But this script is lacking in that impulse to grasp, to cuddle, to hold.

Still, it's a good effort that just feels like a romantic drama written in the male perspective, lacking in the female.