Writer and Director
Hong Khaou

Starring
Henry Golding, Parker Sawyers and David Tran

“I didn’t want to make it so much about me, although I guess it is inevitable it always comes out”

Kit, a Vietnamese-born British man, returns home after thirty years living in the U.K. with his mother’s ashes in possession. His return will most likely be a temporary one, but perhaps he isn’t ruling out making this a more permanent move. Throughout his first days in Ho Chi Minh City, which is often and passionately referred to as Saigon in Monsoon, the camera follows Kit (played by Henry Golding) as he goes downtown, pays a visit to an old friend and joins a city tour, among numerous other activities. The sights and sounds of the hustling and bustling city Kit hails from, yet has never called home, are heavily incorporated via the sound editing in Monsoon and truly makes you feel you’re there with him. Without this atmosphere, Monsoon would almost be mute, for there is not a great amount of dialogue spoken at all.

Thus far, your interest level in Monsoon is hopefully gravitating between curiously wanting to know more or sounding like a complete bore.

Having a clear plot and trajectory are not on the to-do list of writer and director Hong Khaou’s deceptively deep and delicately filmed movie. Rather, we need to become quite heavily invested by the not so transparent reasons behind Kit’s return and the small pieces of his new life that could keep him in Vietnam. Where Monsoon really began to win my appreciation is the often nuanced manner in which it brings to light several other themes observed by the camerawork. For instance, there is the fascinating juxtaposition of traditional and contemporary Vietnam. An internalised story about one man’s cultural identity. Guilt and scarring from the sins of our fathers. That said, these facets can be difficult to distinguish while watching the film and Monsoon’s screenplay and slow pacing do undoubtedly make it a more acquired taste.

Sometimes, a work of cinema can be a writer and/or director’s form of therapy. Knowing there are similarities between Hong and Kit’s experiences and by observing the statement quoted at the beginning of this review from the director certainly epitomise that here.

3 ½ stars

Viewer Discretion
M (Coarse language)

Trailer
Monsoon

Moviedoc thanks Madman for the screener link provided to watch and review this film.

Monsoon is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from November 19.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc
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