A Vietnamese man looking for a better life embarks on a dangerous and eye-opening voyage to America in this powerful drama set during the early '90s. In 1990, Binh (Damien Nguyen) is a man in his early twenties who has never known his parents, though he is clearly of mixed-race parentage, which makes him an outcast in his community. Weary of being treated like an animal, Binh sets out to find his mother, Mai (Thi Kim Xuan Chau), only to discover she works as a servant for a wealthy family who
subject her to constant abuse, and that she has a baby son. When a household accident leads to the death of the matriarch, Mai, her infant, and Binh go on the run. Mai then confesses to Binh that she's dying, gives him all the money she has, and implores him to leave Vietnam for America, with his half-brother in tow. Unable to travel to America legally, Binh attempts to smuggle his way into the States aboard a ship; he's found out, and is sent to a prison camp in Malaysia, where he meets Ling (Bai Ling), a beautiful woman who has been forced into prostitution to support herself. Befriending Ling, Binh eventually arranges for passage to America aboard a refugee ship, though the harrowing voyage claims the life of Binh's half-brother. Binh and Ling arrive in New York City as illegal aliens, and soon learn that life in America can be just as harrowing as what they left behind; eventually, Binh runs away, hoping to make his way to Texas where he's learned that his father is living. Produced by Terrence Malick, The Beautiful Country also features supporting performances from Nick Nolte and Tim Roth. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
The most stunning beauty comes in human connections, physical touch, unconditional acceptance, familial love - in the treacherous and tender terrain of the human heart.
"The Beautiful Country" touches on many thorny social issues about the way the world works, but it's ultimately Binh's story, a truthful and heartening one.
Slow paced, yet intriguing. I should take away 1/2 a star for the unsatisfying ending, but I just couldn't make myself do it. This was very well done, very moving, and very well casted. No Disney ending here, but nice enough to not get me too mad...
"The Beautiful Country" starts in rural Vietnam in 1990 where Binh(Damien Nguyen) is already an outcast in society for having an American father, but his adoptive mother's possible upcoming marriage may force him out even more into the cold. So, he packs up his meager belongings and heads to Ho Chi Minh City to stay
with his mother(Thi Kim Xuan Chau) who works at a mansion as a maid. While there, he meets his much younger half-brother and learns the identity of his father from his parents' marriage certificate. She gets Binh a job at the mansion but an accident forces him to flee along with his younger brother. Their aim is to get to Houston, Texas where Binh's father is from but first they are detained in the purgatory of a refugee camp in Malaysia. "The Beautiful Country" is a visually stunning and moving film about finding your own place in the world. But too many events take place for convenience's sake, not out of any dramatic logic. And it is sorely lacking in three dimensional characters. The superior "In This World" covered some of the same territory in a more harrowing vein.
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