MovieChat Forums > Vinyan (2008) Discussion > No one would do this

No one would do this

posted 15 years ago by chas77
10 replies | jump to latest

So a couple of intelligent people who have lived in Thailand for many months would suddenly go on a wild goose chase to a country that is closed off from the civilized world to find their son who is most likely dead?

Ok, I'm all for suspension of disbelief and I'm not a father so maybe the idea of grasping at straws is more believable for some, but...if this couple has over 50k USD (I think that's about 1.5 mil Thai baht) why wouldn't they also hire a guide or guides to go with them when they hired on with the shady guy who was going to find their son? NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD DO THIS. I went to SE Asia for 28 days in late 2007/early 2008 and just from my small amount of knowledge in what not to do, who to trust, who to avoid, I would never have gone off on my own with people of questionable character on a mission like this. Every guide book, every bit of advice you hear from anyone tells you NOT TO DO STUPID STUFF LIKE THIS. More than likely they would have been robbed and thrown overboard after the first couple of hours.

Why didn't they show a scene where the couple at least told people where they were going, instead of just that one woman who later tried to seduce the husband (she never struck me as the most reliable sort to begin with)? Or maybe a scene where they did hire a couple of bodyguards (if he's paying 50k to find his son, a bodyguard or two could probably be had for as little as $50-$100 per day) to go along with them? Even with the woman's frantic state of mind, I cannot imagine a more untrustworthy person to go with than the freak they met who promised to find their boy. Based on what did he say he'd find the boy? He had no clue, he obviously just wanted the couple's money.

I can understand the people who loved this movie, writing about the cinematography and sound fx, etc., and I agree. It is a beautiful movie to look at. The shot mentioned on one of the other boards in the ruins was excellent. But I could not get over the stupidity of the couple and that, for me, ruined it. Yeah, I know it's a movie but in movies there are character you can care about and stupid people like these are just too hard to relate to.

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 15 years ago

They would do it if they wanted him for lunch.

What is the sound an imploding pimp makes?

[–] Filmsweep-by-Persona 15 years ago

I don't think they are hard to relate to at all. If my son or daughter were done only six months and I thought I saw them on tape or I trusted my wife who thought she saw them on tape, yes, we would go into closed off country to find him or her. I think the fact that you're not a father plays heavily into your not understanding this.

And as to your quote NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD DO THIS

If it had been six months since you lost your child, you are probably still not in your right mind.

[–] davidemartin 15 years ago

Sgljr is exactly right.
The mother still deep in shock with grief when the film begins. We just don't realize how bad she is until she sees the video of her son. That is the catalyst that triggers her compulsion to go seek him out. Remember, she has no plan nor any apparent interest in making one. She just gets out of the cab and immediately starts on her quest. What little preparations they make are strictly the result of the father trying to grab a few supplies (like a heckuva lot of money) en route.

As for people acting stupid in a film, plots often require someone to do something really dumb or there is no lot and hence no film. So we get--
folks splitting up in a hazardouis situation,
folks standing in brightly lit room in front of a dark open doorway,
folks telling questionable individuals that this is the only copy of the proof and/or and that they haven't told anyone where they are,
folks voting Republican,
amd so forth.

[–] chas77 15 years ago

Why don't you both re-read my post. I'm not saying that I would NOT go on this trip. I'm saying that no one who has lived in this area for this amount of time (at least 6 months, probably more) would go on a boat with unscrupulous strangers who have ZERO proof and bring all of their money. From my 28 days in SE Asia I would know not to do that. Yes, if my (soon-to-be-born) son had gone missing in the disaster I would move heaven and earth to try and find him. All I'm saying is that in this part of the world where people are trying to scam you left and right you would not pack up and go without taking precautions. It would be easy enough to buy the services of a bodyguard or three for real cheap. It would make sense to at least tell several friends (if you don't want to let the embassy know since you are going to Burma) in case you never return. That, for me, made the film not only unbelievable but stupid. I would guess by the fact that this film was never given a real distribution deal (and in reading the comments left by others on this message board) I'm not the only one who felt this way.

[–] mr-murph 15 years ago

I see your point, chas77. Maybe we're supposed to assume that the couple did leave word with someone where they are going. It's possible that the filmmakers thought such a scene would slow the film down. The mother, totally out of her mind with grief, is behaving irrationally and descending into madness. Maybe that accounts for their rash behavior.

I'm curious: from your experience, how realistically do you think the native people and customs were portrayed?

[–] chas77 15 years ago

I can understand what you are saying about "descending into madness." That's a good description for the woman. However, I just found it unbelievable that the husband would risk their money and their lives to do this. The husband seemed rational enough to take precautions. The unrealism of that turned it into a bad film for me.

As for the customs, I was never in Burma. Not sure if the native children were meant to typify orphaned Burmese kids or orphaned Burmese Vinyan spirits so who knows?

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 15 years ago

My ouija board, though made in Kansas, says yer right, but the curtain that clouds the issue is still green.

What is the sound an imploding pimp makes?

[–] HippieDrillSealOfApproval 13 years ago

If characters in films not acting in ways that you figure people in real life would act is a problem for you, you might want to just avoid fiction.

[–] asbobob 12 years ago

i would go to the ends of the earth to find my child, so yes i absolutely would do this, this film is about madness

[–] chas77 12 years ago

right, but rather than go along with such a dangerous trek, why didn't the husband try to get her some kind of psychological help? Or hire some LEGIT people to assist? It just seemed real far fetched.