The Sympathizer | Official Teaser 2 | Max/A24 | Apr 14 | Hoa Xuande, Robert Downey Jr., Park Chan-wook EP & directing
- Thread starter DinkyDev
- Start date
- Entertainment Video/Streaming
Forewarning, I believe he's directing the first 3 episodes.
The directing talent for the other four episodes is also fucking stacked with Marc Munden (Utopia, The Third Day, etc) doing three and Fernando Meirelles (City of God, etc) doing one. Veeeeeery excited for this one.
Yeah, looks like it. Split up 3 - 1 - 3:
Park Chan-wook has writing credits for his episodes too I think.
‘The Sympathizer’: HBO Reveals Debut Date, Trailer For Limited Series
'The Sympathizer': HBO Reveals Debut Date, Trailer For Limited Series
deadline.com
Last edited:
View: https://youtu.be/47dRkhiERpE?si=B_uBZlV0CmktAtRE
Here's the YouTube link. I've been looking forward to this for so long, I really hope it's going to be good. The new trailer was wild.
not sure what RDJ is doing talking to Protag about spycraft, i don't recall any white person being remotely privy to his double life in the book.
also really shooting their wad early* with that final shot huh lol
*anyone wanna place bets on if the squid will make it in?
also really shooting their wad early* with that final shot huh lol
*anyone wanna place bets on if the squid will make it in?
OP
OP
‘The Sympathizer’ Review: Robert Downey Jr. Dazzles and Distracts in HBO’s Adaptation of the Pulitzer-Winning Novel
Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar turn Viet Thanh Nguyen's novel about a Vietnamese double agent into a limited series also starring Hoa Xuande and Sandra Oh.
www.hollywoodreporter.com
'The Sympathizer' Turns a Bestseller Adaptation Into a TV Tour de Force
HBO's take on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about an undercover agent in Vietnam is wickedly funny, deeply moving, and totally unpredictable.
www.rollingstone.com
HBO’s ‘The Sympathizer’ Effectively Uses a Shape-Shifting Robert Downey Jr. to Rewrite Hollywood History of the Vietnam War: TV Review
Robert Downey Jr. and Park Chan-Wook team up to adapt Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel into an HBO limited series.
variety.com
The Sympathizer Review: Robert Downey Jr. Shines With 4 Roles
Hoa Xuande and Sandra Oh lead the cast of "The Sympathizer," Park Chan-wook’s adaptation of the Viet Thanh Nguyen novel
www.thewrap.com
‘The Sympathizer’ Review: Park Chan-wook’s Sensational Spy Thriller Is a Hectic Identity Trip
Park Chan-wook's Sensational Spy Thriller Is a Hectic Identity Trip. Review of HBO Series based on bestselling book.
www.indiewire.com
The Sympathizer review | Duality abounds in Park Chan-wook's unique series | Radio Times
Park Chan-wook has crafted something authentic, bold and truly unique in The Sympathizer, a new HBO drama coming to Sky Atlantic.
www.radiotimes.com
The Sympathizer | Rotten Tomatoes
Near the end of the Vietnam War, a spy who was embedded in the South Vietnam army flees to the United States and takes up residence in a refugee community, where he continues to gather intelligence and report back to the Viet Cong.
www.rottentomatoes.com
Fantastic 1st episode. Interesting decision to straight up reveal within the 1st fifteen minutes a major late chapter mystery, from what I remember.
lol…two episodes in. Him recounting it to Sandra Oh actually made the scene funny.
Looks #5 or so of the top 10. I know this will be a extremely hard watch esp for parents of the diaspora. Both the book and movie are seen ss either anti American or anti communist. And one side definitely won't sit well for the older generations.
That said. I'm loving it so far, park chan wook was definitely the man for the job. Its a been refreshing to be able to see the fall of Saigon with a different perspective.
The spoken vietnamese is rough tho. Like it takes me out with how off the delivery can be. This as someone that just watched Mai and A Fragile Flower in theaters. Also digesting VN tiktok daily. Even Ky Duyên as the madame was off in the first episode. But she does better in the 2nd. Understandably due to the ban/soft ban in the motherland they couldn't get actual VN talent. They had to film pre 75 Sài Gòn I'm Thailand in fact. Hoa Xuande was chosen for his ability to act, definitely not for his Vietnamese ability.
Yeah I'm 2nd generation Vietnamese American and even though I'm not a native speaker (I can speak basic Vietnamese conversationally with some rough pronunciation), the Vietnamese is definitely stilted but I'm able to understand a good chunk of it. It's just the inflections are very weird sometimes and it definitely feels like how I would sound if I were an actor on the show being told some dialogue to say. But personally I'm just trying to catch what I can without having to rely too much on subtitles and I'm happy just to recognize what's being said.
Overall though, I think Hoa Xuande is doing a great job, Vietnamese dialect aside.
I was telling my wife the Vietnamese sound exactly like how second generation generation people would speak if they only speak viet at home and have no other exposure to the language. It's very stilted and not natural at all, the flow is all off
View: https://youtu.be/uEv_F_hAOtg?si=rAdsWGHramqfacZ7
The hbo podcast is a great supplemental listen since they get to interview all the big key players. From Hoa Xuande to Việt Thành Nguyễn himself. While breaking down each episode and referencing the book too.
Last edited:
Appointment viewing for me. Shame it seems to be flying under the radar because it's worth watching just for how well directed it is. Park Chan-wook don't miss. It has a more wry sense of humor than I expected, even after watching all the trailers.
See the few of us in here. And yeah, this show is definitely isn't getting any major mainstream attention sadly. It really is so well directed. HBO max megahit this is not 😩
No one is talking about this really outside of the target demographic. Its so sad. I don't know if folks are just waiting for the full season, they're not interested, or they don't know anything about it even existing.
I plan to start watching soon. Finishing up a couple shows and then getting into it. It does look amazing and I love everything Park works on. Although, I still need to watch Little Drummer Girl.
I've been watching this weekly like the rest of y'all but haven't chimed in yet.
I think its a solid adaptation, though the thing that I notice is the Vietnamese. I'm second generation and watching this series has really sharpened my Vietnamese; I think the cast do an amicable job but you can totally tell who speak it fluently/command and those that struggle (and reversed when it comes to English). The cinematography and editing is pretty slick and I'm digging the easter eggs and historical nods (especially like that Viet Thanh Nguyen himself cameos in the third episode as the photographer).
I think its a solid adaptation, though the thing that I notice is the Vietnamese. I'm second generation and watching this series has really sharpened my Vietnamese; I think the cast do an amicable job but you can totally tell who speak it fluently/command and those that struggle (and reversed when it comes to English). The cinematography and editing is pretty slick and I'm digging the easter eggs and historical nods (especially like that Viet Thanh Nguyen himself cameos in the third episode as the photographer).
So Toan Le was in town and did a little interview at a local coffeeshop. I didn't make it but a friend did, so they passed these tidbits to me. Although his profile basically shows hes not be in much, he's really hasn't spoken Vietnamese ever since he arrived when he was young. He had to learn to speak it again, but also speak english with a vietnamese accent. Explains why his vietnamese is sooo rough. Like the kids in yesterdays episodes spoke better than him. Hell, even Vy.(Scratch that, i forgot Vy is actually a native) Her songs were pretty solid. The whole Fantasian thing definitely reminded me a bit of early days of PBN, and well since her character is basically Ky Duyen.
Also Ky Duyen pointing out to the Hallyu wave in the latest podcast and hoping the Vietnamese are next
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5nTt1JLNsg
Also Ky Duyen pointing out to the Hallyu wave in the latest podcast and hoping the Vietnamese are next
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5nTt1JLNsg