Người Cần Quên Phải Nhớ (2020) : Forgiveness & Fate in Vietnamese Romantic-Comedy

Đỗ Đức Thịnh's romantic-comedy film, Người Cần Quên Phải Nhớ (What We Forgot to Remember) focuses on Loan (Hoàng Yến Chibi), a journalist who learns about her father’s sudden death in a mental asylum. This event sparks Loan's suspicion, spurring a personal investigation for the truth. During her investigation, Loan meets Bình (Trần Ngọc Vàng), an amnesiac criminal. Loan pretends to be a psychiatrist in order to trick Bình into discovering the truth behind her father's death, and yet she falls in love with him. But, the question remains: who killed her father and did Bình play a role in his death?

The film conveys themes of familial affection, specifically fatherhood and love. Its comedic, mystery, and action elements blend together to help advance the film’s characterizations and the posthumous father-daughter relationship, a rare familial dynamic in Vietnamese cinema. The decision to have Đức Châu mental asylum as the primary setting is an audacious decision, and, in a way, serving to highlight the miscommunication between parents and children. Loan's relationship with her father is depicted through her narration and flashbacks imparting themes and messages that appeal to Vietnamese culture’s primacy of familial ties. Besides fatherhood, the film depicts Bình and Loan's romantic love through their complementary colors, purples and yellows. Their relationship gradually grows to become a harmony of two confused and lovelorn souls, a connection formed from a mutual understanding and sympathy. Despite past tragedies in their lives, the film celebrates life itself and the value of love.

Further expanding on the film’s narrative, the mental asylum setting, Đức Châu, becomes a character in itself, embodying the psychological disorientation and emotional turmoil that Loan and Bình experience. The sterile, often unsettling environment amplifies the sense of mystery surrounding Loan’s father’s death and Bình’s fragmented memories. Within the walls of this institution, the lines between sanity and delusion blur, reflecting the characters' internal struggles and the deceptive nature of truth. The use of flashbacks, particularly in Loan’s recollections of her father, provides a poignant contrast to the present-day chaos, highlighting the enduring impact of their relationship.

The interplay of comedy, mystery, and action serves not only to entertain but also to deepen the exploration of the film's central themes. The comedic moments, often stemming from the characters' awkward interactions and Loan’s deceptive tactics, provide a welcome levity to the otherwise dark and suspenseful plot. The mystery surrounding the father’s death and Bình’s amnesia keeps the audience engaged, while the action sequences add a thrilling dimension to the narrative, underscoring the stakes involved in Loan’s quest for truth.

The visual language of the film, particularly the use of complementary colors to represent Bình and Loan's romance, is a subtle yet effective way of conveying their emotional connection. The purples and yellows, often associated with mystery and optimism respectively, symbolize the complex and evolving nature of their relationship. As their bond deepens, these colors become more harmonious, reflecting their growing understanding and acceptance of each other's pasts.

Ultimately, Người Cần Quên Phải Nhớ is a film that transcends genre conventions to deliver a heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and the enduring power of familial ties. It is a story that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the capacity for love to heal even the deepest wounds. The film’s nuanced portrayal of its characters, coupled with its engaging plot and visually striking aesthetic, makes it a compelling and memorable cinematic experience.

Đức Châu Mental Asylum in Film

What We Forgot to Remember (2020) : A a story that resonates with the stories of young people