When greed is exposed in The Rich Bride

Released in theaters on October 18, the movie "The Bride of the Wealthy Family" has attracted attention with its star-studded cast including Kieu Minh Tuan, Le Giang, Thu Trang, and Uyen An. The film marks the return of Vu Ngoc Dang after "Con Nhót nhớt chồng" - a project that won many acting awards in 2023.

When the trailer was released at the end of September, the film received a lot of attention because it had similar colors to "Parasite" - the Korean blockbuster by director Bong Joon Ho.

In general, the two scripts are only similar in the theme of the rich-poor contrast, the motif of a group of people planning a scam to enter the upper class, but the majority of the story is different.

The film opens in an old apartment building, depicting the cramped, confined life of workers - a common scene in Vu Ngoc Dang's films. There, Mr. Hoa (Kieu Minh Tuan) makes a living by making votive paper, his ex-wife - Mrs. Mat (Le Giang) works as a maid for a wealthy family. Their eldest son (Huy Anh) is always in need due to unemployment.

The opportunity came when Tu Lac (Uyen An) - the daughter of Mr. Hoa and Mrs. Mat - approached Bao Hoang (Samuel An), the young master of a medical corporation. A scenario was drawn up, the four people transformed into a wealthy family, helping Tu Lac conquer Bao Hoang and his mother - Mrs. Phuong (Thu Trang), becoming a "rich bride".

The film exploits satirical laughter through the perspective of human greed. The director does not side with the rich or the poor, but lets them reveal their prejudices about each other.

Most of the characters in the film are portrayed as scheming and selfish, even though they appear to make excuses due to circumstances.

Disgusted with life in a dilapidated apartment, Tu Lac decided to change her life. Having a "hate for rich people" mentality, Mrs. Mat immediately agreed to her daughter's plan. Although Mr. Hoa initially objected, he agreed at the last minute because he thought his daughter "deserved a better family".

Similarly, the rich in the film are portrayed as arrogant and conceited. Mrs. Ky (Hong Van) - Mrs. Mat's boss - shows her contempt for the maid by giving her expensive grapes.

Mrs. Phuong forbade her son from dating "new rich" girls because she thought they were not worthy of the family. Their luxurious and noble appearance actually concealed many schemes and illegal business tricks, which were then taken advantage of by the poor.

The humor mainly comes from the tricks. To lure the young master, Tu Lac arranges many plays, such as pretending to help the poor to create a good impression, and plotting to deceive Mrs. Phuong's acquaintances, thereby gaining trust.

The plan doesn't always go smoothly. At times, the group seems to have failed and is about to be exposed, but quickly overcomes it thanks to another rare event.

The cast mostly gave well-rounded performances. Kieu Minh Tuan surprised everyone when he played the role of a father over 60 years old. In addition to the funny juggling scenes, the actor evoked deep emotions through the scene where the father confided in his son about his past mistakes that caused the family to fail. Kieu Minh Tuan made an effort to change his appearance, gaining 15 kg to make his body less toned, dyeing his skin oily, and graying his hair to give him a tough, weathered appearance.

In the opposing line, Thu Trang portrays a cold businessman who always puts money first. In the end, the character has many scenes of internal expression when the truth is revealed, thereby revealing hidden feelings.

The characters of Le Giang, Uyen An, and Samuel An do not have much innovation in their acting. Artist Hong Van and actress Quynh Luong mainly appear to create laughter and drama in some situations.

Focusing on entertainment content, the work is light on message. The theme of social conflict and the rich-poor divide has not been deeply explored, only briefly mentioned in a few lines of dialogue.

The director has not built a reasonable plot to explain why the poor people in the film have to risk committing fraud, even though they started out as good people. The characters lack psychological unity and do not develop their inner selves, making it difficult to evoke sympathy.

The film makes many logical errors because some details are poorly developed. For example, Mrs. Phuong is portrayed as mature and thoughtful, but easily believes Tu Lac's family is rich just from the fortune teller's words.

The con schemes are forced, such as the group of characters staging two consecutive plays in the same setting. The story therefore lacks the intellectual appeal that is often found in heist films.

The film was also criticized by many viewers for overusing loud dialogue, especially in scenes where residents of the apartment complex argue. Watching the screening on the evening of October 18, audience member Trong Lam commented that some of the swearing scenes in the film were unnecessary and could easily create a distorted view of the working class.

Vu Ngoc Dang admitted to inserting swearing because he wanted to portray the complex life in the apartment complex. According to the director, that is also a characteristic of his filmmaking style. "From the beginning, we determined that the film would be rated 18+ (not for audiences 18 years old), so we tried to make the story as realistic as possible," he said.