Steamy Hanoi ëSuní Story of Three Sisters Unwinds With Chekhovian Plot, Cinematic Poetry by Ky N. Nguyen The Vertical Ray of the Sun" is a mysterious cinematic poem illustrating everyday events and secret complications in the lives of three sisters working in their family cafÈ. French-Vietnamese writer-director Tr?n Anh Hng captures what he describes as the "heat, the slowness, and the formidable sensuality" of Hanoi. Inspired by Mark Rothkoís rich colors and Robert Rauschenbergís "organization of disorder," Tr?n and art director BenoÓt Barouh design an organic moving painting. Cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-Bin (who shot this before "In the Mood for Love") lights the precisely framed and choreographed images, a post-modern blending of Kenji Mizoguchi and Wong Kar-Wai. Even when indoors, the people live in the midst of verdant tranquility, enhanced by the soothing music of Ton That Tiet and crisp sounds of birds, insects and rain. Without effort, the movieís luscious ambience flows smoothly over the viewer like a gentle breeze. Itís an intoxicating domestic paradise, where initially everything seems perfect. Underneath the calm surface lie eddies of hidden disappointment. rgettable moments include the recurring sequences when youngest sister LiÍn (played by Tr?nís wife and perpetual muse, Tr?n Nu YÍn-KhÍ) wakes up in the small, sunny apartment she shares with her brother Hai, a bit film actor. They dreamily perform their morning exercisesóstretching, tai chi, or even dancingóto languidly melodic American music, such as Lou Reedís "Coney Island Baby" and the Velvet Undergroundís "Pale Blue Eyes." LiÍn flirts playfully with her brother, imagining that people on the street perceive the gorgeous pair as a couple. She sometimes even ends up in his bed, explaining in the morning that she was cold. The enigmatic plot revolves around the extremely close family. Suong, the oldest sister, owns the cafÈ. Sheís married to nature photographer QuÙc and has an infant son. Middle sister Khanh is married to author KiÍn, whoís trying to finish his first novel. Unmarried LiÍn has a beau, but heís no comparison to her idealized brother Hai. Everybody has secretsóperhaps including the familyís dead mother and father. Nothing is as it first appears. The summer month-long story begins and ends with family ancestor worship gatherings, recalling the wedding and funeral framing devices of Edward Yangís "Yi Yi," another quiet melodrama. In "Vertical Ray," the whispers are even more delicate but just as effective. Stunning personal revelations come out matter-of-factly, reinforcing their impact. The small fireworks are reminiscent of the cinema of Ingmar Bergman, particularly "Persona." Director Tr?nís sedate debut, "The Scent of Green Papaya," won the Camera díOr at Cannes, the CÈsar for Best First Picture, and a foreign language film Oscar nomination. His stylishly violent follow-up, "Cyclo," grabbed the Golden Lion at Venice. An official selection at Cannes, Toronto, and San Francisco, "Vertical Ray" has been strangely overlooked on the awards circuit, but itís perhaps an even better work of art. "The Vertical Ray of the Sun [Mua he Chieu Thang Dung/ ¿ la Vertical de líÈtÈ]" (Vietnamese with subtitles; 113 min.) opens Aug. 17 at Visions. Birth in Venice In "Bread and Tulips," writer-director Silvio Soldini concocts a quirky romantic comedy full of colorful characters and improbable situations. The unique locale of Venice is itself a character that adds to the movieís many charms. Inadvertently, bored housewife Rosalba (Licia Maglietta) takes an extended solo "vacation" that frees her spirit and reinvigorates her life. While on a family holiday, Rosalba is left behind at a rest stop by the tour bus. Nobody notices sheís missing. On a whim, she decides to hitchhike home but ends up in Venice. Following logistical snafus, she ends up on the couch of Fernando, a poetic Icelandic waiter (Bruno Ganz). Fernandoís flowery dialogue is delivered musically by Ganz, whoís been speaking in this formal speech pattern through much of his career (Wenderís "Wings of Desire," Herzogís "Nosferatu," Rohmerís "The Marquise of O"). Maglietta, on the other hand, often uses her own words to more realistically express her character. They and the rest of the enchanting ensemble cast play finely together. "Bread and Tulips" picked up nine David di Donatello (Italian Academy) Awards for Best Film, Director, Actress, Actor, Supporting Actress and Actor, Screenplay, Cinematography, and Sound. The biggest critical and commercial hit in Italy since "Life Is Beautiful," it was also an Audience Award runner-up at Filmfest DC 2001. "Bread and Tulips (Pane e Tulipani)" (Italian with subtitles; 117 min.) opens Aug. 10 at Visions. Western, Himalayan-Style The beautiful images of "Himalaya" were conceived by writer-director Eric Valli, a veteran National Geographic photographer, after visiting the forbidden Dolpo region of northwestern Nepal in 1981: "I was overwhelmed by physical, social, and economical challenges that the caravan poses for Dolpopas [ethnically Tibetan]. It was straight out of John Fordís westerns." In Valliís film, the "cowboys" drive an annual ritual caravan of yaks through the mountains to trade salt for grain. Retired chief Tinle tries to regain control of the caravan after his sonís apparently accidental death on the trail. He suspects that Karma, his sonís assistant from a rival clan, killed his son to become chief. The resulting power struggle illustrates the universal issues of generational conflict, pride, sacrifice, intrigue, and romance. The inaccessible Himalayas have long been romanticized in the West, epitomized by the ancient myth of Shangri-La and the modern concept of Tibet. Western movies such as Frank Capraís "Lost Horizon," Martin Scorseseís "Kundun," and Jean-Jacques Annaudís "Seven Years in Tibet" have been set in the region but shot elsewhere. Having lived in Nepal for nearly 20 years, Valli managed to actually film the culture and landscape of Dolpo, resulting in Nepalís first nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar. "Himalaya (HimalayaóLíEnfance díun Chef)" (Tibetan with subtitles; 117 min.; scope) is now playing at Visions, where it can be combined with "Lumumba" for an unofficial double feature (separate admission) of the Audience Award winners at Filmfest DC 2001. Ramplingís Provocative Portrait British actress Charlotte Ramplingís glamorous persona provides the foundation for "Under the Sand," FranÁois Ozonís engrossing character study. The viewer simply canít look away from Rampling, whoís on screen nearly every second in the provocative portrait of a middle-age woman whose normal life is suddenly disrupted. Her character Marieís husband disappears when he goes swimming on a secluded French beach. Left with grief and denial, her unanswered questions are studiously explored as she floats between reality and fantasy. Rampling, through subtle gestures and incredibly expressive eyes, showcases the entire range of human emotions through Marieís highs and lows. The startling image of Charlotte Rampling in "The Night Porter" is indelibly etched in cinematic history, even if few today have seen the 1974 film. "Under the Sand," a huge success in France, has put Rampling back on magazine covers. Itís considered her comeback, but she never exactly went away, having worked steadily through the years. This release is Ozonís first in Washington, although heís gathered international notice as the "bad boy" of French cinema ("Water Under Burning Drops," "Criminal Lovers," "Sitcom"). The toned-down, meditative pace of "Under the Sand" displays an astute maturity to Ozonís exacting direction. "Under the Sand [Sous le Sable]" (French with subtitles; 93 min.) is now playing at Cineplex Odeon Dupont Circle, Cineplex Odeon Shirlington, and Cinema Arts. Yakuza Invasion Takeshi Kitanoís distinctively twitchy, scarred face hasnít been an impediment to his enduring status as a Japanese media icon. Besides a career as a stand-up comic, actor, and TV personality (as Beat Takeshi), Kitano has become the unlikeliest of auteurs. His idiosyncratic art films ("Kikujiro," "Fireworks," "Sonatine") typically have the formal framing, meditative pacing, and restrained acting of an Antonioni movie. Incongruously, theyíre interspersed with ultra-violent bursts and/or comedic interludes. The uncompromising "Brother" (Filmfest DC 2001) was shot in Los Angeles, largely in English, with a talented, multicultural cast and crew. The result is a stylistically formal yet accessible comedy-drama with hopes for crossover potentialóa la "Crouching Tiger"óbeyond the art house ghetto. After the crumbling of his Yakuza family in Tokyo, Kitanoís character Yamamoto is forced into exile in L.A. where he sent his half-brother Ken to college. Yamamoto, or Aniki ("Big Brother"), is dismayed to learn that Ken is instead a small-time drug dealer. Ironically, heís in cahoots with African American Danny (Omar Epps), whom Aniki has just violently confronted in the streets. When Kenís gang is threatened, Aniki resorts to Yakuza methods to lead them up the underworld career ladder. Aniki and Danny develop a close fraternal bond that endures under the inevitable duress of an organized crime war. Yamamotoís name is a prophetic allusion to the admiral who plotted the invasion of Pearl Harbor. "Brother" (Japanese and English with subtitles; 113 min.) is now playing at Cineplex Odeon Dupont Circle, Loews Pentagon City, and Loews Rio. Repertory Notes The first annual Georgetown Independent Film Festival www.georgetownfilmfest.com, 202-338-4300) opens Aug. 9 with an opening party at Canal Square. Screenings, including international submissions, play Aug. 10-12 at the Festival Theatre adjacent to Blues Alley. LomoCamera is sponsoring a photography shoot-out using the Lomo Kompact Automat, the cult still camera from St. Petersburg, Russia. ASHA for Education (www.ashanet.org/dc, 202-756-4100 x7300) will hold a fundraiser screening of Dev Benegalís "Split Wide Open" (Filmfest DC 2000) to benefit childrenís primary education in India. It shows at the Cineplex Odeon Wisconsin Ave. on Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m. The Screening Room of the Washington Jewish Film Festival moves into the DCJCCís parking lot on Aug. 4 at dusk. The 1921 German Expressionist classic, "The Golem," will be projected outdoors with live accompaniment from the Silent Orchestra. The Library of Congressís Mary Pickford Theater (www.loc.gov/pickford; 202-707-5677) wraps up its current program, focusing on Glasnost Cinema, Danish silents, and Les Gangsters from France. In conjunction with the Italian Cultural Institute, the National Gallery of Art (www.nga.gov/programs/film.htm, 202-842-6799) and the American Film Institute (www.afionline.org/nft, 202-785-4600) continue programs featuring humanistic director Ermanno Olmi and TotÚ, the "king of comedy." The conclusion of the Freer Gallery of Artís Made in Hong Kong film series (www.asia.si.edu/programs/film.htm, 202-357-2700) includes John Wooís penultimate Hong Kong film, "Hard-Boiled," and performances by Zhang Yimou and Gong Li in "A Terra-Cotta Warrior." Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.