While one may argue that the ending is a little bit Hollywood, the movie itself is not. Featuring a stunning performance by ten-year-old Han Thi Pham, the movie stays with the viewer long after the credits roll.I won't tell you the plot; there isn't much of one. The art of this movie is not so much about story as it is about human beings, their relationships with one another and how a little faith and a whole lot of belief can bring us all together.There's not a wasted note here. The music, improbably an electric guitar, never overwhelms and is used with taste so rare with modern directors. You are invited to flow along with the story and live as if you are an onlooker on the streets of Saigon.But all this wouldn't work without the brilliant understatement of its centerpiece, Han Thi Pham. Working without much expression, the actress uses her voice to convey emotion. The perfection and purity of her motives may seem suspect to many Westerners but in the setting of this story the result in at once sad and uplifting.The script is crisp, the camera work utilitarian and the direction never more than what is needed. This is movie making the way it should be. It is a film perfect for repeat viewings, such is the depth of emotion and simple story-telling.

I don't know anything about movie composition, shots, lighting etc so my rating about the movie storyline and how it affected me, not about the technical production by the director. Clearly, the story talks about young children trying to make it on the street in a large city, a heart-rending proposition in most cases. Frankly, I cared about the little girl from the opening sequences on and I got more and more worried about her blundering about on her own... Through her lucky fate and her own pluckiness and "goodness of heart", she makes it on the streets for about a week, manages to worm herself into the heart of two unrelated strangers and actually brings them together! That little girl had amazing insight into the hearts and minds of adults. Miracles do happen, heart-melting events do happen, moving stories do happen. The story is totally vietnamese, features vietnamese scenes from the country and the street, children trying to fit into the adult world, and adults trying to make sense of their own lives. Great story!

I went to see this film not expecting it to be anything much but I thought it was a respectable effort after I had seen it. I must admit I was surprised to be the only person in a cinema with about 200 seats-I think that speaks to the way people are avoiding going out these days in general more than it speaks to the quality of the film. The use of colour in the film was very good and the part played by a kid was very well done-it is a film that also shows various shots of kids all over the Vietnam area and I think some other places also-sort of like a 'homage' to kids-as they are often forgotten parts of the modern world in many ways in the sense that modern society is mostly about being adults-people forget there are kids growing up all over the place taking in the never ending adult self gratification show from a distance. The film is sensitive and intelligent-and not in English-it is in Vietnamese, but has easy to read English subtitles. Great shots of grinning kids from all over East Asia. Fun and a treat if you like world cinema.

"The Owl and the Sparrow", the first feature from Stephane Gauger, who also wrote the screenplay and shot it, is an effective drama about a young orphan girl, Thuy (Pham Thi Han), who escapes from her uncle's factory and lives on the streets of Saigon. There, she befriends a kind zookeeper and a flight attendant. Various dramas flare as young Thuy becomes involved in matchmaking, fleeing from the police, and helping an elephant survive. The film's strengths are in its writing and performances. The young lead actress is extremely good, delivering a mature, layered, inspired performance. What lets the film down, especially during its first half hour, is the camera-work. It is unnecessarily jerky and often out of sync with the momentum of the emotions. When we're being drawn into the film's heart, we're also having to deal with motion sickness. Jerkiness does not equal edginess. The material here is strong, so strong, in fact, that it does not need shots of photographic adrenalin. Thankfully, the camera calms down and the rest of the movie is highly watchable and allowed to proceed without interruption. Hopefully, Gauger will trust the material and the performances next time. Still, this is a fine achievement.