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"At the Height of Summer" is a gently knowing look at tradition, ritual, loyalty, and gender roles in contemporary Vietnamese society, with first rate performances from the cast.
Set in present day Hanoi, the film is a tale of three sisters whose lives threaten to unravel following the anniversary celebration of their mother's death. The bond between them seems strong, but each has a guilty secret. Li脥n (Y脥n-Kh脥), lives with her older brother in a stifling and possibly incestuous relationship. The older sister, Suong (Nhu Quynh), has a sexually unfulfilling life with her husband and has wandered into the arms of a younger man. Unbeknown to Suong, her husband has also been having an affair for many years with a woman, with whom he has fathered a child. The youngest sister, Khanh (Khanh), is pregnant but suspects her husband of infidelity.
Tran Anh Hung erupted onto the international arthouse scene with his Cannes prize-winning feature debut, "The Scent of Green Papaya" (1993). He extended his reputation with "Cyclo" (1995), a revered follow-up. Since then, little has been heard from him after a plans for a production about a modern day Christ failed to materialise.
This early work marked Anh Hung as one of contemporary cinema's leading imagists, often causing compare with painters as opposed to directors. "At the Height of Summer" certainly continues in this tradition. The director's attention to detail and gesture is mesmerising, as is the attention to dialogue and character.
"At the Height of Summer", described by Anh Hung as "a sensual, tender, poignant comedy", arrives heavy with the weight of expectation. Thankfully, our expectations are exceeded.
"At the Height of Summer" is released in UK cinemas on Friday 24th August 2001.
