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Movies / On DVD / The Quiet American
The Quiet American

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The Quiet American (2002)

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Reviews Counted:140

Fresh:124

Rotten:16

Average Rating:7.8/10

Consensus: Thoughtful and wonderfully acted, The Quiet American manages to capture the spirit of Green's novel.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for images of violence and some language

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Nov 22, 2002 Limited

Box Office: $12,843,884

Synopsis: Set in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1952 during the French Indochina war, THE QUIET AMERICAN is based on the mystery story by Graham Greene, and directed by Phillip Noyce. A middle-aged British reporter for... Set in Saigon, Vietnam, in 1952 during the French Indochina war, THE QUIET AMERICAN is based on the mystery story by Graham Greene, and directed by Phillip Noyce. A middle-aged British reporter for the London Times, Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine), has been working in Vietnam, covering politics and enjoying the local culture. He lives with a beautiful young woman, Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen), a taxi dancer who he rescued from that undesirable profession. He cannot marry her, because he is already married to a Catholic woman in London who does not believe in divorce. But he truly loves her. When a young American doctor, Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser), falls in love with Phuong, threatening to take her from Fowler, everything changes. Not only is Fowler's romantic life put in danger, but he begins to uncover disturbing information about the U.S.'s involvement in the war. An intriguing and atmospheric love story as well as a riveting mystery, THE QUIET AMERICAN features top-notch performances from Caine and Fraser, who maintain an eager intensity throughout the film. Combining the mysterious beauty of Saigon with the strangeness of the war, the film is suspenseful and effective. [More]

Starring: Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen

Starring: Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen

Director: Phillip Noyce

Director: Phillip Noyce
Screenwriter: Christopher Hampton, Robert Schenkkan
Producer: William Horberg, Staffan Ahrenberg
Studio: Miramax Films

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Release:

Jul 29, 2003

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • The Quiet American
  • The acclaimed performances of two-time Academy Award(R)-winner Michael Caine (Best Supporting Actor, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, 1999; HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, 1986) and Brendan Fraser (THE MUMMY, GODS AND MONSTERS) power a stylish political thriller where love and war collide in Southeast Asia. Set in early 1950s Vietnam, a young American (Fraser) becomes entangled in a dangerous love triangle when he falls for the beautiful mistress of a British journalist (Caine). As war is waged around them, these three only sink deeper into a world of drugs, passion, and betrayal where nothing is as it seems. Based on the classic novel by Graham Greene -- you'll find yourself riveted by the fascinating intricacies and ever-developing intrigue of this outstanding motion picture.
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
  •  
     
     
     

    Reviews for The Quiet American

    • T-Meter Critics
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    21 - 40 (sorted by date)
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    A compelling look at a situation from history that parallels contemporary times.

    Full Review Source: Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | comment Comment
    04/21/03
    Linda Cook
    Linda Cook
    Quad City Times (Davenport, IA)

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Killer Movie Reviews | comment Comment
    04/05/03
    Andrea Chase
    Andrea Chase
    Killer Movie Reviews

    My initial reaction was of having seen a great story of political intrigue told well, but as I sit here thinking, levels of depth... slowly begin to open up to me.

    Full Review Source: Mark Reviews Movies | comment Comment
    03/27/03
    Mark Dujsik
    Mark Dujsik
    Mark Reviews Movies

    Adapts a Graham Greene novel with something approaching economy but far removed from finesse.

    Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
    03/25/03
    Adam Nayman
    Adam Nayman
    eye WEEKLY

    'Una tranquila pero recia interpretación de Michael Caine, que realiza uno de sus mejores trabajos en años.'

    Full Review Source: Moviola | comment Comment
    03/17/03
    Jorge Avila Andrade
    Jorge Avila Andrade
    Moviola

    In so many ways, The Quiet American speaks volumes.

    Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
    03/10/03
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Marjorie Baumgarten
    Austin Chronicle

    [Caine's] performance is absolutely perfect, a study in restraint and subtlety that should be used as an acting course.

    Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
    03/09/03
    Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
    Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
    Goatdog's Movies
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
    03/07/03
    Sydney Morning Herald

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Zertinet Movies | comment Comment
    03/05/03
    Steven Snyder
    Steven Snyder
    Zertinet Movies

    A smart and gutsy work that argues Americans are prone to repeating the mistakes of history instead of learning from them.

    Full Review Source: Des Moines Register | comment Comment
    03/04/03
    Jeffrey Bruner
    Jeffrey Bruner
    Des Moines Register

    There's an almost great film here.

    Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
    03/04/03
    Glenn Kenny
    Glenn Kenny
    Premiere Magazine
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
    03/01/03
    St. Louis Post-Dispatch

    Like Sunset Boulevard, [this film] starts with a lifeless body, then puts the murder in perspective. It’s a good cinematic structure, one perfect for a film that cares less about the crime than the journey toward it.

    Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
    02/28/03
    Forrest Hartman
    Forrest Hartman
    Reno Gazette-Journal

    "The Quiet American" begins in Saigon in 1952. That's its first sign of trouble.

    Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
    02/28/03
    Christopher Smith
    Christopher Smith
    Bangor Daily News (Maine)

    ... journey into one particular heart of darkness, an organ that nevertheless pumps warm blood.

    Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
    02/28/03
    Philip Martin
    Philip Martin
    Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

    Eliminates the last traces of Greene's religious motifs and focuses entirely on political and interpersonal themes. Yet these are at the heart of Greene's story, so as an adaptation it succeeds where End of the Affair failed.

    Full Review Source: Decent Films Guide | comment Comment
    02/28/03
    Steven D. Greydanus
    Steven D. Greydanus
    Decent Films Guide

    It’s a political film, but not in the way that an Oliver Stone film is political. Rather, it’s political in the way that Casablanca is a movie about politics (it’s romantic and entertaining and tells a story about interesting people).

    Full Review Source: KFOR Channel 4 News | comment Comment
    02/25/03
    Blake Davis
    Blake Davis
    KFOR Channel 4 News

    Noyce and the screenwriters have nailed Greene with the kind of accuracy not seen since Carol Reed's two Greene films, The Third Man and Our Man in Havana.

    Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
    02/19/03
    Ken Hanke
    Ken Hanke
    Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

    It's Caine who deserves the Best Actor trophy, delivering not only the finest male performance of 2002 but also one of the best of his entire career.

    Full Review Source: Creative Loafing | comment Comment
    02/19/03
    Matt Brunson
    Matt Brunson
    Creative Loafing

    Noyce's direction is glum and sententious.

    Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
    02/18/03
    Jim Lane
    Jim Lane
    Sacramento News & Review
     
     
    21 - 40 (sorted by date)
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    April 29, 2008: Philip Noyce Learning The Art of Making Money Opens in new window
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