Whether it's a conscious decision on the part of filmmakers or not, the current trend in Hollywood appears to be good-looking and even well-acted dramas and comedies that aren't very substantive.
Unfortunately, it even appears to be spreading to international cinema. Take, for example, "Cyclo," the new feature from Vietnamese director Tran Anh Hung. Despite its eye-popping visuals, this well-intentioned drama about poverty and crime in contemporary Vietnam remains as devoid of emotion as some of its characters.
Unlike the characters in his first full-length work, "The Scent of Green Papaya," who exuded warmth as well as charm, the unnamed ones here remain aloof and enigmatic. Consequently, the film's emotional impact is muted and its ending seems like a copout.
The main character is a teenager (Le Van Loc) who is carrying on the family business, operating a "cyclo," a sort of bicycle taxicab, through the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, the former Saigon.
But his cyclo is stolen by some street toughs, which gets him into trouble with his boss, Madam (Nguyen Nhu Quynh). In order to pay her back for the stolen cyclo, the boy falls in with a gang of young criminals, led by the Poet (Hong Kong star Tony Leung-Chiu Wai), a would-be crime lord who writes verse on the side.
The Poet and his cohorts are able to persuade the naive cyclo driver into helping them with their crimes, which are petty to begin with, but which soon escalate into random bombings and drug-running.
At the same time, his sister (Tran Nu Yen Khe) has fallen in love with the Poet, who has persuaded her to turn tricks for some of his customers. She manages to keep her virginity intact, though, by acceding to some of their kinky whims.
Eventually, the charismatic Poet pushes both the cyclo driver and his sister into situations well beyond their control, which, of course, leads to tragedy.
Hung does a good job visualizing his story — some violent scenes are shot in a grainy near-documentary style, while other moments have a glossy, almost music-video, look. Unfortunately, some others are shot so confusingly that it's hard to tell exactly what's going on.
In fact, he concentrates so much on the film's look that he gives the characters short shrift. It's hard to get a grip on them, especially the Poet, since it's not exactly clear if we're supposed to sympathize with him or hate him.
Of course, it doesn't help that Leung, who was quite good in John Woo's "Hard Boiled," is so brooding here. And Yen Khe (the director's wife in real-life) plays her role with a vacant smile on her face at most times — a complete reversal of her winning performance in "The Scent of Green Papaya."
"Cyclo" is not rated but would probably receive an R for violent fist, gun and knife fights, some of them bloody, scattered profanities, some drug use, a couple of vulgar references and a brief torture scene.