Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell is a transcendental drama about Thiện(Lê Phong Vũ) a spiritual searcher, who after the untimely death of his sister-in-law, takes his nephew Đạo(Nguyễn Thịnh) back to his home village for her funeral.
The film is almost purely a mood piece and Vũ is very understated letting the images and situations wash over him, the 'action' such as it is is minimal. From an acting stand point the best parts are with Vũ and Thịnh, the two have great chemistry and the familial connection comes through, but this isn't a film about a single, childless uncle stepping up to be a surrogate parent. After Đạo is placed at a school Thiện searches for his brother through a series of vignettes and these are more poetry than narrative.
The production design is immaculate, with rich patient visuals, a superb and meditative sound design, and an inspired sound mix. There's an impressive one-shot where Thiện and Đạo go to visit a Vietnam War vet who weaves burial shrouds that is up there for best scene of the year.
If there is a criticism it is simply that the film is too long. At three hours the impeccable and transportive lowkey tone simply loses steam in the third hour, its too precarious and understated to maintain for that duration. The film raises a lot of questions and does so in a subtle, evocative way, but it very deliberately has no answers so its not as if the extended run time is building to some crescendo or conclusion. As a result it feels like it sort of peters out.
A powerful and effective work of slow cinema, but perhaps a tad too slow.
Currently available to rent on most VOD platforms.
See It.
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