Beautiful Country, The

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© A.J. Malouin 2008

(Rating: 4 by Caryl.)
(See our side-bar page “How Caryl & Al & The Film Snob Rate Movies”)

(2004/USA/Norway. Directed by Hans Petter Moland.)
This nicely photographed and well-acted film follows the journey of Binh, a 20-year-old Vietnamese man, as he searches for his roots. Binh has a U.S. father and a Vietnamese mother. In Vietnam, such offspring are known as “butdo,” which roughly translates, in American, as “less than dirt.” Binh’s root-seeking journey takes him from his aunt’s home in a small Vietnamese village to Saigon, where he hopes to find his mother. He finds her working as a domestic, and living with his half-brother. After some problems at her job, Binh’s mother advises Binh to leave for America, along with his brother, Tan. She tells him that his father lives in Texas and gives him US$2,000 to go find him. With the help of a prostitute named Bai Ling, Binh and his brother book illegal passage on a cargo ship to “the beautiful country.” Binh insists that the prostitute accompany them. During the brutal and disturbing crossing Binh develops a major-league crush on Ling. After many setbacks, including watching his love interest ply her trade in NYC, Binh does find his father. All ends well for him, and for us also, as his father Steve is played by Nick Nolte. This film delivers a few nice surprises, some very poignant moments, and is Very Worthwhile. (2 hours 5 in USA.)

(Ratings Revisited: 4 by Caryl and, now, 4 by Al. )
“The Beautiful Country” is an ambitious and beautiful undertaking. As we tolt you when Caryl reviewed it, “The Big Country” follows the journey of Binh, from a Vietnamese village, to Saigon, to a refugee ship, to a Malaysian refugee camp, to a cruel sea-crossing, to NYC, to Texas, USA. Binh is the son of a Vietnamese woman and an American invader-soldier. He’s attempting to find his mother, and then his father. In the aftermath of another American tragedy (The Vietnam War) here is a beautiful story, well-photographed, well-written and well-executed. In the film, the Vietnamese call America “the beautiful country.” Binh’s now-blind invader-soldier father calls Vietnam “the beautiful country.” Everyone is correct! This is no ordinary love story. From the beginning, it shows that some truly beautiful things are invariably born from the terror of day-to-day living. (2 hours 5 in the USA.)