A
superhero film coming to cinemas nationwide during the Christmas and New Year
season is expected to do well at the box office and possibly surpass earnings
of its competitors.
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A
scene from the action film Loi Bao (In the Storm) - Photo courtesy of the film producer
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Vietnamese-American director
Victor Vu’s Loi Bao (In the Storm), released last weekend, has attracted more
than 30,000 people in Ho Chi Minh City.
The 1 million USD-film
features secrets about a superman played by dancer and rapper Cuong Seven, who
fights evil and protects justice.
Vu worked on the film with
art director Vincent Wang, who has been involved in Hollywood blockbusters
Doctor Strange, The Great Wall, Now You See Me and Dracula Untold.
He also invited a crew of
lighting and sound specialists from Thailand who work in filming and
post-production. His staff spent several months in Da Lat filming kung-fu
scenes.
“I spent a lot in filming
because I want my audiences to watch quality action scenes”, Vu told local
media.
“My film is not about a
Hollywood superman. It portrays a Vietnamese character who lives simply but
works to keep the country and people safe”, he said.
Loi Bao features young stars
Nha Phuong and Vu Ngoc Anh.
Actor Quach Ngoc Ngoan,
winner of the title Mai Vang Award for the year’s Best Film Actor from Nguoi
Lao Dong (Labourer) newspaper in 2015, plays a supporting role in the
film.
“I think Vu’s Loi Bao is the
best work of its kind on superman in Vietnam”, said moviegoer Nguyen Dan Phuong
of HCM City.
Vu, a graduate of Loyola
Marymount University in the US, began his career in Vietnam after his film,
Chuyen Tinh Xa Xu (Passport to Love), won Favourite Film at the Golden Kite
Award given by the Vietnam Cinematography Association in 2008.
The romantic comedy
attracted visual effects director Peter Soto, composer Christopher Wong,
costume designer Michelle Ngo and Vietnamese-American actress Kathy Uyen, all
of whom left a fresh impression on Vietnamese audiences. It was also
distributed in the US.
His second film in Vietnam,
Giao Lo Dinh Menh (Inferno), released in 2010, starred dozens of young artists.
The film is about the work and love of urban youth.
Two years later, his kung fu
film Thien Menh Anh Hung (Blood Letter) won the jury prize at the International
Film Festival in Hanoi.
In 2013, his film Bi Mat
Tham Do (Scandal), a work about the secrets of the film business, received the
Golden Kite Prize for best director, presented by the Vietnam Cinematography
Association. Both films scored box office records.
His fourth film Qua Tim Mau
(Vengeful Heart), a horror film, earned more than 24 billion VND (1.1 million
USD) in just three days after its release in 2014.
“I learned a lot about
Vietnam’s history, traditional culture and lifestyle”, said Vu, adding that he
sees his future in Vietnam.
Another Vietnamese film is
Khi Con La Nha (When You’re Home). Director Vu Ngoc Dang’s psychological
production features comedy scenes starring Luong Manh Hai, who is also the
film’s producer.
The film tells the story of
a poor father and his son who moved from their village to earn a living in a
big City.
Dang, who has worked on
several films and TV series, used child actor Pham Duy Anh to attract young
fans.
“The film is for all members
of the family to enjoy during the holiday season. It is a song of life and love”,
said Dan, a graduate of the HCM City University of Theatre and
Cinematography.
“After watching, I hope
audiences, particularly young people, will learn about bravery, honour, and
responsibility”, he added.
Khi Con La Nha will be
screened in cinemas tomorrow to welcome the New Year.
Source:
VNA