Product Details

• Actors: Tran Nu Yên-Khê, Nhu Quynh Nguyen, Chu Hung, Tran Manh Cuong, Le Tuan Anh
• Directors: Tran Ahn Hung
• Producers: Christophe Rossignon, Adeline Lecallier, Bertrand Faivre, Alain Rocca
• Format: Dolby, Color, Subtitled, Import, Full Screen, DVD
• Subtitles: English, Portuguese, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Run Time: 112 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• ASIN: B002L01RLI
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #332,878 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Sinopsis
Pleno verano es una magnífica película que nos cuenta la historia de tres hermanas enfrentadas a sus vivencias y.... fantasmas personales. Es realmente impresionante ver como Anh Hung nos hace "sentir" las diferentes sensaciones que sienten sus personajes. Se vive el ambiente, se respira el olor de la tierra mojada, de los frutos recién cortados, el gusto de los alimentos, el sonido de los pájaros.... La primera película El olor de la papaya verde ya mostraba ese canto a lo maravilloso que era vivir, respirar, sentir... Y Pleno verano, que puede recordar en algunos momentos una película de Ang Lee (Comer, beber, amar), no deja de ser fiel a esa premisa. Pero éste filme va más allá, ya que sin duda la experiencia dramática de Ciclo abrió una nueva perspectiva a su obra. ¿Es todo tan maravilloso como se aparenta? o ¿qué existe detrás de las apariencias?

Synopsis
From the director of Cyclo and The Scent of Green Papaya comes this tale of three sisters who live in close proximity in present-day Hanoi. Lien (Tran Nu Yen Khe), the youngest sister, shares an apartment with her younger brother Hai (Ngo Quang Hai) and works at a cafe run by oldest sister Suong (Nguyen Nhu Quynh). Suong is the wife of Quoc (Chu Hung), a photographer with whom she has a son. The middle sibling Khan (Le Khanh) is married to Kien (Tran Manh Cuong), a writer in the midst of finishing his first novel. Over the course of one month, the family is convened for the anniversary of the death of the sisters' mother and when reminiscing about their departed matriarch, they bring up the memory of a mysterious man who seems to have been part of their mother's past. Kien begins to look for clues about Toan's identity, and Suong reveals that she has been involved with another man. Lien is sharing sleeping quarters with her brother Hai while keeping track of her flighty boyfriend, and fantasizes about being pregnant.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Delicacy, January 18, 2011

By 

Bobby Underwood "starlighthotel" (Manly NSW, Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: En Pleno Verano (À la verticale de l'été) (At The Height Of Summer) (The Vertical Ray of the Sun) [*Ntsc/region 1 & 4 Dvd. Import-latin America] by Anh Hung Tran (Subtitles: English, Spanish, Portuguese) (DVD)

The distinct impression of Vietnam director Tran Anh Hung has given us through his films is one of sensual beauty. Whereas in "The Scent of Green Papaya" the main focus was on nature, here Tran has turned his camera loose in much the same way on a Vietnamese family, and it proves a richly flavored cuisine.

The story revolves around three beautiful sisters of various ages, all living together as a family unit. Two sisters are married and one of those has a child. Together with a younger brother, an extended and supportive family unit is formed in Hanoi. While Tran captures the beauty outside their home, he begins to focus on what lies beneath the surface, and what begins as a tiny sprinkle, becomes a steady rain of sensuality.

The outward happiness and tranquility of this extended family belies what Tran shows us, pulling back the curtain slowly to reveal deep secrets and shocking deceptions. Always present is the search for the truth regarding the romance of their parents, led by the sisters, which is shrouded in mystery.

Ravishingly beautiful Tran Nu Yen Khe portrays the single sister, Lien. She and her older brother have a flirtatious relationship that causes many on the streets of Hanoi to mistakenly believe they are a couple. Only in the final moments of this film will we come to understand history may be repeating itself.

The lush foilage of Vietnam and the lovely city of Hanoi are wonderfully brought to life by Tran, and an excellent sountrack enhances the unique atmosphere of another impressionistic rendering of a place and its people by a director with a unique vision. Perhaps Tran's greatest achievement here, however, is a feeling of sensuality you can almost touch. Once again he has turned a movie into a film, and that film into art.

You can not go wrong purchasing this Vietnamese delicacy. The Vertical Ray of the Sun is shining straight down on the human heart.