Lost in Paradise (2011)
"Hot boy noi loan - cau chuyen ve thang cuoi, co gai diem va con vit" (original title)

Khoi, a naive twenty-year-old, travels to Ho Chi Minh City from the countryside to begin a new life. It's his first time in the big city and he's looking for a place to live. He befriends ... See full summary »

Director:

Ngoc Dang Vu

Writers:

Ngoc Dang Vu, Manh Hai Luong

Stars:

Manh Hai Luong, Vinh Khoa Ho, Linh Son Nguyen

Cast

Cast overview:
Manh Hai Luong	...	Lam
Vinh Khoa Ho	...	Khoi
Linh Son Nguyen	...	Dong (as Linh Son)
Phuong-Thanh	...	Hanh
Hieu Hien	...	Cuoi
La Quoc Hung	...	Long

Storyline

Khoi, a naive twenty-year-old, travels to Ho Chi Minh City from the countryside to begin a new life. It's his first time in the big city and he's looking for a place to live. He befriends Dong, a handsome extrovert who offers to share his apartment. When Khoi goes to check the place out, he meets Lam, who also appears to be living there. Khoi decides to stay, but while he showers, Dong and Lam - who turn out to be boyfriends - run off with all his cash and belongings. It's not long before Lam is himself abandoned by Dong, and winds up back on the street as a prostitute. Meanwhile the penniless and disillusioned Khoi takes on menial jobs to survive. Lam and Khoi are eventually reunited, and despite Lam's past actions, the two become closer and closer - even though Khoi becomes more and more troubled by Lam's dangerous source of income. At the same time, Cuoi, a mentally handicapped man abandoned by his family, attempts to befriend a female prostitute. Her pimps do not take kindly to ...

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Plot Keywords:

city | prostitute | pimp | mentally handicapped | apartment | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Vietnam

Language:

Vietnamese

Release Date:

15 June 2012 (Taiwan)

Also Known As:

Lost in Paradise

Company Credits

Production Co:

BHD Co., Vietnam Media Corp & Vietnam Studio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

User Reviews

Superbly emotional film

Whilst it is very emotional viewing to see the story unfold, the director Ngoc Dang Vu has done a stunning job and the cinematography and pace of the film are superb. He and his writers clearly express a less-than-optimistic view on the affect prostitution has on these young people's lives, which of course may not be the same for everyone in every country but it certainly is a believable story for these young people in their poor circumstances.

There are a few love stories unfolding in the film and it's the least likely one that ultimately proves to be the strongest. When the cold-faced Lam explains to the young, scared Khoi that sex and love are not the same thing he's right. There's no resolution at the end, instead it is a memorable journey with 5 people and if you ever get the chance to see this film I thoroughly recommend it.