I Come With the Rain (Tran Anh Hung)

[Kurious Jorge v3.1]

With The Scent of Green Papaya and Vertical Ray of the Sun being personal favorites of mine, I was anticipating his next film since it's been, what, eight years since his last.



here is a 5 min. promo with scenes from the film:

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=1486891319&channel=1214718128


I have to say my anticipation weened a lot after watching the promo. Everything I like about his work is surprisingly missing from this (save for the now obligatory Radiohead song).. Josh Hartnett's acting is verging on being hammy. None of the actors seem on the same page and most of the non-English speakers sound comically formal when the speak english.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/dj1200proof/1154_newsarticle_f.jpg

[Qrazy]

Screw all these Asian directors going Hollywood, I fucking hate it. If Koreeda ever does this I'll shoot myself.

[Raiders]

Screw all these Asian directors going Hollywood, I fucking hate it. If Koreeda ever does this I'll shoot myself.

Speaking of him, I see Hana is being released on DVD in the US on 6/24. But, on Amazon it says the DVD is 1.33:1. Any idea if this is a pan & scan, or was the film shot that way? I can't seem to find out.

[Sycophant]

Speaking of him, I see Hana is being released on DVD in the US on 6/24. But, on Amazon it says the DVD is 1.33:1. Any idea if this is a pan & scan, or was the film shot that way? I can't seem to find out.
My Hong Kong disc is widescreen. Hopefully, Amazon's just having a typo kind of day.

[Stay Puft]

Elias Koteas! I'm there.


Screw all these Asian directors going Hollywood, I fucking hate it.

It doesn't look like Tran Anh Hung is "going Hollywood." Wouldn't that necessitate going to Hollywood? This is a project he's been working on for a long time, with producers he's worked with before, with French funding he's had before. What's wrong with producing projects in different languages/settings/etc? Other than casting Josh Hartnett, I mean.

[Qrazy]

Elias Koteas! I'm there.

It doesn't look like Tran Anh Hung is "going Hollywood." Wouldn't that necessitate going to Hollywood? This is a project he's been working on for a long time, with producers he's worked with before, with French funding he's had before. What's wrong with producing projects in different languages/settings/etc? Other than casting Josh Hartnett, I mean.

Ok fine (just assumed based on Hartnett it was a Hollywood production) then, a director from another country going English language. There's nothing wrong with it in theory but in practice the resultant films almost always either a) suck or b) at the very least results in a step down from their previous output (by and large). I just wish they'd stay where they are and continue to make great films. And based on the trailer for this one it looks at very least like a step down.

John Woo
Kusturica
Wong Kar Wai
Bunuel
Truffaut
Antonioni
Berolucci
Jackie Chan

Lots of other asian filmmakers who aren't springing to mind right now.

[Grouchy]

John Woo
Kusturica
Wong Kar Wai
Bunuel
Truffaut
Antonioni
Berolucci
Jackie Chan
I give you John Woo, but most of the others made one English/Hollywood movie and then went back to their countries, like Kusturica, Buñuel or Bertolucci. Sure, that could prove your point that it didn't work out for them (although, in the case of Arizona Dream, I disagree), but for me, going Hollywood means staying there.

Truffaut? When did he ever made a Hollywood movie?

[soitgoes...]

Interesting. If I were to ever make a film about my life it would be called I Come Like the Thunder. It probably wouldn't include Josh Hartnett or any Asians for that matter. Just hot girls. So maybe some Asians. As long as they're hot.

As for this film, I'll definitely check it out.

[Qrazy]

I give you John Woo, but most of the others made one English/Hollywood movie and then went back to their countries, like Kusturica, Buñuel or Bertolucci. Sure, that could prove your point that it didn't work out for them (although, in the case of Arizona Dream, I disagree), but for me, going Hollywood means staying there.

Truffaut? When did he ever made a Hollywood movie?

No it doesn't at all really it means going there, whether they stay or not is another matter. Arizona Dream is a step down from most of Kusturica's other work (what else have you seen?), even if it's not a bad film, that's why I specified both possibilities. Also I amended the original statement to making an english language film not only Hollywood financed, to make the distinction more inclusive, before I provided the list (Truffaut - Fahrenheit 451).

And I used them as examples because quite often when they returned to their original language they started making better films again.

[Grouchy]

No it doesn't at all really it means going there, whether they stay or not is another matter. Arizona Dream is a step down from most of Kusturica's other work (what else have you seen?), even if it's not a bad film, that's why I specified both possibilities. Also I amended the original statement to making an english language film not only Hollywood financed, to make the distinction more inclusive, before I provided the list (Truffaut - Fahrenheit 451).

And I used them as examples because quite often when they returned to their original language they started making better films again.
I've also seen Underground, Time of the Gypsies and Life is a Miracle. Arizona Dream comes straight after Underground for me, and the other two I found kind of reiterative but I still managed to dig the style.

I'd forgotten about Fahrenheit being English-spoken.

[Stay Puft]

So apparently this was suppose to premiere in Cannes last week, but it was cancelled. That would be exponentially frustrating news if it weren't for the fact that I simultaneously discovered it's premiering in Japan on Wednesday (FINALLY) and will be getting a commercial release in Japan on June 6th.

Japanese trailer:
http://www.nipponcinema.com/blog/japanese-teaser-for-anh-hung-trans-i-come-with-the-rain/

The international poster:
http://images.nipponcinema.com/news/ICO-posterdef.jpg

Fucking finally. Now somebody hurry up and pick it up for distribution in the West.

[Cult]

I think it looks very intriguing--and there's nothing wrong international-ity in films. Assayas does it awesomely, and maybe Hung will too.

[Qrazy]

I think it looks very intriguing--and there's nothing wrong international-ity in films. Assayas does it awesomely, and maybe Hung will too.

Wrong. There's everything wrong with it and furthermore you suck.

[Cult]

Wrong. There's everything wrong with it and furthermore you suck.
Xenophobe.

[Qrazy]

I've also seen Underground, Time of the Gypsies and Life is a Miracle. Arizona Dream comes straight after Underground for me, and the other two I found kind of reiterative but I still managed to dig the style.

I'd forgotten about Fahrenheit being English-spoken.

Hrm I find Time of the Gypsies and Underground to be his best by a very substantial margin. Life is a Miracle is indeed reiterative but not as much as Promise Me This. I still might prefer Miracle to Dream, it's a toss up there. I prefer Dolly Bell and When Father Was Away to both.

[Qrazy]

Xenophobe.

If they went Russian language I'd be cool with it.

[Ezee E]

This is one of the best titles ever.

[soitgoes...]

I can see some from here liking Tran's I Come with the Rain, but its all a mess to me. The casting choices alone are enough to leave me scratching my head, and I'm not even counting Hartnett, who did a more than adequate job playing a tortured ex-cop. Tran has given us a Korean, a Japanese and a Vietnamese to round out the 4 most significant roles. They all are supposed to be Chinese, and they all speak English (all but Byung-hun Lee sound like they are reciting their lines phonetically) even amongst themselves. The story's a mess. Christian symbolism is everywhere. I don't know what to make of it all. I'm going to try and forget Tran had a part in this. I hope he rights himself with Norwegian Wood.

[Qrazy]

Called it here first. English language for the fail.

[soitgoes...]

Ok fine (just assumed based on Hartnett it was a Hollywood production) then, a director from another country going English language. There's nothing wrong with it in theory but in practice the resultant films almost always either a) suck or b) at the very least results in a step down from their previous output (by and large). I just wish they'd stay where they are and continue to make great films. And based on the trailer for this one it looks at very least like a step down.

John Woo
Kusturica
Wong Kar Wai
Bunuel
Truffaut
Antonioni
Berolucci
Jackie Chan

Lots of other asian filmmakers who aren't springing to mind right now.


Called it here first. English language for the fail.While you are right in this case, I don't think your initial assessment is spot-on. Foreign directors have done rather well in the past switching to the English language. Sirk, Zinnemann, Siodmak, Lang, Polanski, Skolimowski, Forman, Trier are all good examples. Your choices of Bunuel (The Young One) and Bertolucci (The Last Emperor) could be argued. I do agree that Asian directors do have an issue tackling English language films.

[Qrazy]

While you are right in this case, I don't think your initial assessment is spot-on. Foreign directors have done rather well in the past switching to the English language. Sirk, Zinnemann, Siodmak, Lang, Polanski, Skolimowski, Forman, Trier are all good examples. Your choices of Bunuel (The Young One) and Bertolucci (The Last Emperor) could be argued. I do agree that Asian directors do have an issue tackling English language films.

Bunuel has more English language output than just The Loved One and what I've seen (aside from The Loved One) is a step down from his other work. You're right about Lang, Polanski and Forman but I see them as the exceptions that prove the rule. I haven't seen any foreign language Sirk, Zinnemann, Siodmak or Skolimowski to know how good their earlier films were. Trier sucks so it doesn't matter which language he makes his films in.

Semi-kidding, I admire elements of Trier's craft but I do not respect his scripts.

[Grouchy]

What's with the sex-related titles in this guy's movies?

Probably a silly question because I haven't seen any of them.

[Qrazy]

What's with the sex-related titles in this guy's movies?

Probably a silly question because I haven't seen any of them.

I think you'd probably like Cyclo.

[soitgoes...]

What's with the sex-related titles in this guy's movies?

Probably a silly question because I haven't seen any of them.

I Come with the Rain and what else? Norwegian Wood is based on a book by the same name which is in turn uses the name of a Beatles song.

[Boner M]

The Young One is one of Bunuel's best.

[Qrazy]

The Young One is one of Bunuel's best.

I like it quite a lot also and consider it an exception to his overall mediocre English language period.

[baby doll]

All I can says is: About f-in' time. It's been like ten years. Where the hell was he?

Also, Qrazy's argument is, well, crazy. And for the record, I like My Blueberry Nights. Not to mention, uh, Last Tango in Fucking Paris.

[Pop Trash]

I was going to defend My Blueberry Nights as well.

[baby doll]

What's with the sex-related titles in this guy's movies?

Probably a silly question because I haven't seen any of them.Yeah, I was going to say: What's sexual about The Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo, and The Vertical Ray of the Sun (aka À la vertical de l'été)?

[Grouchy]

Yeah, I was going to say: What's sexual about The Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo, and The Vertical Ray of the Sun (aka À la vertical de l'été)?

They all sound vaguely sexual to me. Seriously.

[Qrazy]

My argument is not a new one and has been made many times in the past by others as well.

"b) at the very least results in a step down from their previous output (by and large)"

There are certainly exceptions but I hold to the belief that MOST foreign directors that go English language (particularly on their first outing) don't fair all that well. Someone else can crunch the numbers.

[soitgoes...]

My argument is not a new one and has been made many times in the past by others as well.

"b) at the very least results in a step down from their previous output (by and large)"

There are certainly exceptions but I hold to the belief that MOST foreign directors that go English language (particularly on their first outing) don't fair all that well. Someone else can crunch the numbers.
Eh, I think you could just say a director who speaks one language is going to have problems shifting to another language, English or not. Exceptions, like in all things, are out there. Tran could've produced a film lower in quality to his Vietnam trifecta and I still would've been happy. He failed miserably. Even switching languages, I would have hoped he could make a film of passable quality. Something plenty of directors have done in the past.


FYI, subs for your Alexei German film on KG have been posted. Not sure if you were aware, but I felt it was something you needed to know. :)

And Grouchy, I have no idea how Cyclo can be construed into something sexual. Unless finding 120 lb. Asian men bicycling people around for a living is sexy.

[Qrazy]

Eh, I think you could just say a director who speaks one language is going to have problems shifting to another language, English or not. Exceptions, like in all things, are out there. Tran could've produced a film lower in quality to his Vietnam trifecta and I still would've been happy. He failed miserably. Even switching languages, I would have hoped he could make a film of passable quality. Something plenty of directors have done in the past.


FYI, subs for your Alexei German film on KG have been posted. Not sure if you were aware, but I felt it was something you needed to know. :)

And Grouchy, I have no idea how Cyclo can be construed into something sexual. Unless finding 120 lb. Asian men bicycling people around for a living is sexy.

Ooh the Aleksei German Jr. film I posted? Thanks for the heads up!

I would agree with your language switch comments but the reason I think it's more prone to happen with a switch to English is because a) the switch to English for a foreign director happens more often than a switch to any other language and b) Switching to English often goes hand in hand with working in the Hollywood system and dealing with being second guessed and manipulated by focus group minded producers.

[Grouchy]

And Grouchy, I have no idea how Cyclo can be construed into something sexual. Unless finding 120 lb. Asian men bicycling people around for a living is sexy.
Menstrual Cyclos.

[soitgoes...]

Menstrual Cyclos.
Not sexy or sexual.

[soitgoes...]

Ooh the Aleksei German Jr. film I posted? Thanks for the heads up! Yes, and there's talk of an upgrade on the film you posted. Not sure if that's a positive for you or not.

[Grouchy]

Not sexy or sexual.
Not sexy, but sexual.

[Ezee E]

I haven't read the thread, but I will say, this is an awesome title.

[B-side]

Exceptions, like in all things, are out there.

Max Ophüls and Raoul Ruiz agree with you.