Owl & The Sparrow

Surviving on the Streets of Vietnam
"The Owl and the Sparrow" takes place in a small Vietnamese village. Ten-year-old Thuy (Pham Thi Han) is mostly confined to working in her uncle's bamboo factory. This changes when she runs away to Saigon. Thuy must come to grips with the challenges of daily survival and becomes part of an interconnected relationship with beautiful flight attendant Lan (Cat Ly) and lonely zookeeper Han (Le The Lu). To avoid the authorities and her strict uncle tracking her down, Thuy must summon all her cleverness and determination in her attempt at lasting happiness.

The film is somewhat predictable but is remarkable in its feeling of hope. Young Han is immediately endearing. Though she elicits sympathy, we admire her independence and ability to survive day to day in the crowded streets of Saigon. The film starts to feel contrived when the two characters Thuy meets merge so neatly. Though we get a sense of Thuy's less-than-ideal existence, director Stephane Gauger downplays...

I have watched it several times.
It is a nice heartwarming movie. There are some moments where you may need to have a box of tissues handy. I have been to Vietnam and specifically Saigon (HCMC). There are many kids on the street begging and selling. They are the cutest kids you'll ever see and it breaks your heart to see their conditions. This movie is well worth watching. It is more interesting than most of the crap from Hollywood these days.

The Most Wonderful Movie
The Owl and the Sparrow is the most wonderful movie I have seen in years. Romanticized? Yes, but why not? The humanity and compassion of the perfect cast is the message, and our need for connection and family. Subtitles - ok, get over it. See this movie.

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