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The Quiet American

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The Quiet American (2002)

89%
80%
84%
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89 %
Reviews Counted: 140 Fresh: 125  Rotten:15 Average Rating: 7.8/10
 
Consensus: Thoughtful and wonderfully acted, The Quiet American manages to capture the spirit of Green's novel.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

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 the London Times, Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine), has been working in Vietnam, covering... 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]

Genre: Dramas

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

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

DVD Info

Release:

Mar 2, 2004

[DVD Details]

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
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4/5

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
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N/R

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06/24/06
Derek Adams
Time Out
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N/A

The reason I found myself finally unmoved by this film, which is immaculately produced and has serious things to say, is that it comes across rather too plainly as allegory.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/16/02
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]
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2.5/4

I'm not exactly sure what this movie thinks it is about.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/10/02
Ian Waldron-Mantgani
UK Critic
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
12/02/02
Guardian [UK]
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N/R

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11/30/02
This is London
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3/5

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11/30/02
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
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4/5

Noyce's measured, intelligent film ... restores the novel's political and moral complexity.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/05/02
Jason Best
BBC
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N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
10/30/02
FilmFour.com
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N/R

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10/30/02
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
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3/4

The film may be a not especially unusual mystery/thriller, but it's still a solid and entertaining one at that.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/17/07
Michael Dequina
Mr. Brown's Movies
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3/4

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07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
N/R

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05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
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4/5

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12/06/05
Film Threat
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N/R

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03/03/05
Stuart Klawans
Nation
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B-

La confrontation, mais aussi l’amitié entre ces deux comédiens au sommet de leur forme, font de The Quiet American un film solide.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/25/05
Louis-Jérôme Cloutier
Panorama
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A-

Noyce has coaxed out what may well be a career-best performance by Michael Caine.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/15/05
Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer
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4/10

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10/07/04
Tony Medley
tonymedley.com
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4/5

Provides enough action to keep the restive in their seats, but the real excitement here is Greene's finely-drawn characters and the two performances that keep them alive.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/06/04
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)
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3.5/4

The Quiet American takes the viewer inside opium dens and dance halls. It peeks behind the curtains of political intrigues and exposes their violent consequences.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/23/04
Judith Egerton
Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)
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Film review: The Quiet American: A complex meditation in the epic mode
by: Henry Fool 4/27/03
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