This film has an interesting set up - a road trip of sorts to find a small child's father who has possibly deserted his (now dead) wife and son. The cinematography is beautiful and it opens up the Catholic community of Vietnam in an interesting way. Unfortunately, the longer it goes on, the less it delivers. The narrative ebbs away to reveal very little as the lead character goes on what is now a spiritual journey. But why? He seemed pretty together right from the beginning. Was he supposed to be learning something? I couldn't find the connection no matter how hard I tried. Finally, he lay down in a shallow stream as if giving up. If only the audience could do the same. The film simple did not ultimately reveal anything. If there was rich meaning, as some suggest, the film-maker failed to make this apparent - even to those who kept on watching for the full three hours. Very disappointing.
Review of Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell
