The 18+ movie "The Rich Bride" (Vu Ngoc Dang) criticizes the greed of those who want to get rich quickly, but the content is still thin, with many illogical details.
Released in theaters on October 18, the film attracted attention when it brought together a cast of stars such as Kieu Minh Tuan, Le Giang, Thu Trang, Uyen An. The film marked the return of Vu Ngoc Dang after The Loquat Looking for a Husband - Award-winning acting project in 2023.
When the trailer was released at the end of September, the film received much attention because of its similar color. Parasite (Vietnamese name: Parasite ) - Korean blockbuster by director Bong Joon Ho. In general, the two scripts are only similar in the theme of the rich-poor contrast, the motif of a group of people planning a scam to enter the upper class, but the majority of the story is different.
The film opens in an old apartment building, depicting the cramped, confined life of workers - a common scene in Vu Ngoc Dang's films. There, Mr. Hoa (Kieu Minh Tuan) makes a living by making votive paper, his ex-wife - Mrs. Mat (Le Giang) works as a maid for a wealthy family. Their eldest son (Huy Anh) is always in need due to unemployment.
The opportunity came when Tu Lac (Uyen An) - the daughter of Mr. Hoa and Mrs. Mat - approached Bao Hoang (Samuel An), the young master of a medical corporation. A scenario was drawn up, the four people transformed into a wealthy family, helping Tu Lac conquer Bao Hoang and his mother - Mrs. Phuong (Thu Trang), becoming a "rich bride".
The film exploits satirical laughter through the perspective of human greed. The director does not side with the rich or the poor, but lets them reveal their prejudices about each other. Most of the characters in the film are portrayed as scheming and selfish, although they appear to make excuses because of their circumstances. Disgusted with life in a dilapidated apartment, Tu Lac is determined to change her life. Having a "hate for the rich" mentality, Mrs. Mat immediately agrees to her daughter's plan. Although Mr. Hoa initially objected, he agreed to participate at the last minute because he thought his daughter "deserved a better family".
Similarly, the rich in the film are portrayed as arrogant and conceited. Mrs. Ky (Hong Van) - Mrs. Mat's boss - shows her contempt for the maid by giving her expensive grapes. Mrs. Phuong forbids her son from dating "new rich" girls because she thinks they are not worthy of the family. Their luxurious and noble appearance actually conceals many schemes and illegal business tricks, which are then taken advantage of by the poor.
The humor comes mainly from the tricks. To lure the young master, Tu Lac arranges many plays, such as pretending to help the poor to create a good impression, plotting to deceive Mrs. Phuong's acquaintances, thereby gaining trust. The plan is not always easy to succeed. At times, the group of characters seem to fail, about to be exposed, but quickly overcome thanks to another unusual event.
The cast mostly gives well-rounded performances. Kieu Minh Tuan surprised when playing the role of a father over 60 years old. In addition to the funny juggling scenes, the actor evoked deep emotions through the scene where the father confided in his son about his past mistakes that caused the family to fail. Kieu Minh Tuan tried hard to change his appearance, gaining 15 kg to make his body less toned, dyeing his skin oily, and graying his hair to give him a tough, weathered appearance.
In the opposite line, Thu Trang portrays a cold businessman who always puts money first. In the end, the character has many scenes of internal expression when the truth is revealed, thereby revealing hidden feelings. The characters of Le Giang, Uyen An and Samuel An do not have many innovations in acting. Artist Hong Van and actress Quynh Luong mainly appear to create laughter and drama in some situations.
Focusing on entertainment content, the work is light on message. The theme of social conflict and the rich-poor divide has not been deeply explored, only briefly mentioned in a few lines of dialogue. The director has not built a reasonable development to explain why the poor in the film have to risk committing fraud, even though they started out as good people. The characters lack psychological unity and do not develop their inner selves, making it difficult to evoke sympathy.
The film makes many logical errors because some details are not cleverly developed. For example, Mrs. Phuong is portrayed as experienced and thoughtful, but easily believes Tu Lac's rich family just because of the fortune teller's words. The scams are forced, such as the group of characters staging two consecutive plays in the same setting. The story therefore lacks the element of mind games - a common attraction in heist movies.
The film was also criticized by many viewers for abusing loud dialogue, especially in scenes where residents of the apartment complex argue. Watching the screening on the evening of October 18, audience member Trong Lam commented that some of the swearing scenes in the film were unnecessary and could easily create a distorted view of the working class. Vu Ngoc Dang admitted that he included swearing because he wanted to portray the complicated life in the apartment complex. According to the director, that is also a characteristic of his filmmaking style. "From the beginning, we determined that the film would be rated 18+ (not for audiences 18 years old), so we tried to make the story as realistic as possible," he said.
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