US$1m-fantasy film expected to be big hit

Blockbuster: A scene from the action film Loi Bao (In the Storm), which is expected to be a big hit this Christmas and New Year season. - Photo courtesy of the film producer

Vietnamese-American director Victor Vu’s Loi Bao (In the Storm), released last weekend, has attracted more than 30,000 people in HCM City.

The US$1 million-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 Viet Nam 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 Vienam, 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 Viet Nam Cinematography Association. Both films scored box office records.

His fourth film Qua Tim Mau (Vengeful Heart), a horror film, earned more than VND24 billion ($1.1 million) 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 Dang, 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.