''Fool for Love'' ( vi, Để Mai tính) is a

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film directed by

Charlie Nguyễn Charlie Nguyen, Vietnamese name is Nguyen Chanh Truc (born September 25, 1968), is Vietnamese–American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is the older brother of actor Johnny Trí Nguyễn, Johnny Tri Nguyen, he and Johnny with comedia ...

released in 2010. It tells the story of Dung ( vi, Dũng) (Dustin Nguyễn), a laid back employee at a 5-star hotel who is interested in Mai (Kathy Uyên), a Vietnamese American aspiring singer. He is hired by Hoi (Thái Hòa) as a personal assistant, which allows him to go to

Nha Trang Nha Trang ( or ; ) is a coastal city and capital of Khánh Hòa Province, on the South Central Coast of Vietnam. It is bounded on the north by Ninh Hòa District, Ninh Hoà town, on the south by Cam Ranh city and on the west by Diên Khánh Distri ...

to pursue Mai. In 2014, a spin-off film De Mai Tinh 2: Let Hoi Decide was released, focusing on Hoi.

Plot

Dung (Dustin Nguyễn) is low-level employee at a hotel who is kind to those around him and a hopeless romantic. Mai (played by Kathy Uyen) is an

Overseas Vietnamese Overseas Vietnamese ( vi, người Việt hải ngoại, or ) refers to Vietnamese people who live outside Vietnam. There are approximately 5 million overseas Vietnamese, the largest community of whom live in the Vietnamese Americans, Unite ...

lounge singer searching for her break. When they have a chance meeting, Mai is charmed by Dung's ability to quickly solve situations with cleverness and a smile. Dung is dismayed to find out that Mai is being pursued by a wealthy businessman named Antoine (Charlie Nguyen), who has offered Mai assistance with her singing career in exchange for a romantic relationship. Dung meets Hoi, a wealthy, gay businessman, and accepts an offer to be a well-paid personal assistant in the hopes of gaining enough money to convince Mai to reconsider. Dung agrees to accompany Hoi to

, knowing Mai would be performing there and with the hope he can feign wealth with Hoi's gifts and property. Meanwhile, Hoi pushes the boundaries of his arrangement with Dung, hoping to start their own romantic relationship.

Cast

Dustin Nguyễn Dustin may refer to: Places in the United States * Dustin, Nebraska * Dustin Township, Holt County, Nebraska * Dustin, Oklahoma Other uses * Dustin (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname * Dustin ...

as Dũng * Kathy Uyen as Mai * Thái Hòa as Hội *

Charlie Nguyen Charlie may refer to: Characters * "Charlie," the head of the Townsend Agency', from the Charlie's Angels (franchise), ''Charlie's Angels'' franchise * Charlie, a character on signs for the CharlieCard, a smart card issued by the Massachusetts Ba ...

as Antoine * Bùi Văn Hải as Minh * Maryline Tâm Võ as Ánh * Annie Huỳnh Anh as Vân * Leon Lê as Sơn * Trần Trung Lĩnh as Trí * Đào Duy Tân as Thành * Bình Minh as Trợ lý của Antoine * Johnny Trí Nguyễn as Johnny * Nguyễn Hậu as Thuyền trưởng * Ngụy Thanh Lan as Thư ký * Trương Thế Vinh as Bar Owner * Dominic Pereira as Hotel Customer * Tuyền Mập as Women in the Restroom

Production

The movie was filmed in Vietnam, and would be the first big budget movie directed by an

director. The movie is thought to be one of the first films in a new wave of glossy, mainstream Vietnamese cinema.

Release

The film was released in Vietnam on April 23, 2010. The movie was released to theaters in the United States on September 10, 2011. After its summer run, it would stand as Vietnam's biggest box office hit for a movie officially produced in Vietnam, grossing 18 billion VND.

Reception

Thủy Linh from '' Thanh Nien'' commended the summer release for its lighthearted comedy and allowing the audience to have uncomplicated laughs. Jade Hidle for ''DVAN'' remarked on the movie's depiction of a modern Vietnam, forgoing references to the country's past, "the film allowed me to experience a welcomed sense of relief that positive movies can be made about and in Việt Nam."

Depiction of Sexual Orientation

In their review for ''Thanh Nien'', Thuy Linh commended Thai Hoa for portraying his gay character as motivated by love as much as the other characters. Nguyen Tan Hoang for ''Korientation'' saw the character of Hoi as part of a burgeoning trope, in which Vietnamese cinema depicted gay characters as "affluent, cosmopolitan, and modern, these characters’ bóng eroticism is painted as contagious, addictive, and morally corrupt." Lee Ngo for ''DVAN'' asked "Is Thai Hoa’s Hoi an offensive caricature of subjectivity, or is he simply a character who should be lauded for his courageous self-expression?" In Nguyen Tan Hoang's 2018 article "Fooled by Love: Việt Kiều Intimacy in Charlie Nguyen’s Để Mai Tính(2010), they argue that the depiction of Hoi as queer and as an Overseas Vietnamese is inextricably linked in the character's portrayal.

Sequels

In 2014, Thai Hoa reprised his Hoi character in De Mai Tinh 2: Let Hoi Decide

References

External links

*{{IMDb title, 1630038/ 2010s Vietnamese-language films Transgender-related films Vietnamese sequel films 2010 romantic comedy films Vietnamese romantic comedy films CJ Entertainment films Vietnamese LGBT-related films LGBT-related romantic comedy films 2010 LGBT-related films 2010 films