Thi Mai, rumbo a Vietnam (2017) Poster

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7/10
Sympathetic comedy with likable actors and colorful cinematography from Vietnam
ma-cortes14 November 2019
Enjoyable comedy delivers a lot of silly -but also really sentimental- situations, entertainment and amusement .The flick provides emotions , love stories , twisted incidents , funny comical sketches , tongue-in-cheek , grotesque situations and above all , it especially contains catching touches of humor and irony . It deals with Carmen (Carmen Machi) , a determined and obstinate woman , she along with her husband (Pedro Casablanc) to be aware her daughter Maria died in a car crash . After a couple of days , Carmen decides to go to her flat for some paperwork but here she finds out that Maria was about to adopt a Vietnamese girl called Thi Mai . Carmen then decides to go to Vietnam along with her two veteran friends : Elvira (Aitiana Sánchez Gijón ) and Rosa (Adriana Ozores) , although none of the three has ever left Spain in their life . During the search for Thi Mai , they become involved in multitude of amazing incidents . Through the film is described several distresses , clumsiness and misfortunes to carry out their purports , lousily proceeded by the bungling outfit in fits and starts . The three women will have the opportunity to experience nutty and comical situations caused by cultural differences . They will be helped by Dan (Nguyen) , a Vietnamese guide, and Andrés (Dani Rovira) , a young Spanish actor going to Hanoi to live with his boyfriend .

Funny , heartwarming and uneven comedy , appointed for all kind of public about an agreeable premise : three mature women move to Vietnam to carry out the adoption a Vietnamese little girl , there they bear several ungainliness , confusion and crazy mayhem . Lovely , attractive and charming flick with cultural clashes between Vietnamese and Spanish people . In the film they are giggles , irony , comedy , almost-surrealist scenes about a sympathetic trio of madure women suffering in Vietnam a great number of adventures , distresses and blunders . From the start to finish the good mood and humor are continuous . Sitting in a strange middle ground between the completely absurd and the stylishly enjoyable , being an agreeable comedy with brief dramatic elements, as well as sweet hilarious touches . There are some nice jokes in the film and the cast , playing eccentric characters , make a cosy fit . Passable and charming screenplay, though middlingly paced , by Marta Sánchez . The highlight and great clímax, of course , is the final , being executed slightly and quickly , with no much complications , including some surprises . The picture benefits itself of a great cast formed by the following ones : Carmen Machi who gives a sympethetic acting and the married woman who travels to Vietnam to bring home the young girl her recently deceased daughter had planned to adopt, she is well accompanied by Adriana Ozores and Aitiána Sanchez Gijón . Support cast is pretty good such as : Pedro Casablanc , Antonio Gil , Alberto Jo Lee, Neguyen and special mention fot the always humorous Dani Rovira , considered to be the new Alfredo Landa of the Spanish cinema

It packs a brilliant and evocative cinematography by Sergi Gallardo , being filmed on location in Ha Long Bay, Ha Long, Quang Ninh, Vietnam , Hanoi, Vietnam and Pamplona, Navarra, Spain . Atmospheric as well as sensitive musical score by Fernando Velazquez, J.A. Bayona's ordinary , adding the catching song El camino Written and Performed by Pablo López . The motion picture was professionally directed by Patricia Ferreira , realizing a stylish and colorful yarn . Patricia began working in cinema in the 2000s filming shorts and documentary , and has realized a few films , usually Thrillers and Dramas such as 2005 Para Que no me Olvides , 2002 El Alquimista Impaciente or The Impatient Alchemist and 2000 Sé Quién Eres . Rating : 6.5/10, decent dramedy .
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6/10
too much of a tearjerker, too little comedy
play-me-a-symphony22 August 2020
This movie can't decide whether it's a tragedy or a comedy. Too many tragic moments, and not all of them can be taken lightly. One thing that really bothered me was that for men (for all of them in the film) to do anything good, women had to beg them and beg them and beg them, and cry and beg them.... It was hard to watch. Are men so slow and cowardly and heartless that they can't do anything good without women pushing them really hard to do it? It made me feel distaste for men and pity for women.

This film could have been good, had it focused on being a pure comedy. The funny moments are funny, all the actors are great, the scenery is perfect. Alternatively, this could have been shot as a tragedy, whether with good ending or not, to show the coldness of this bureaucratic world with heartless operatives. But the mix of the too feels unsettling.
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7/10
Sweet, funny and entertaining
rodrigoreyes15 February 2019
It's not annover her top comedy but it has its funny moments. It's a sweet movie that tugs at your heartstrings and leaves you feeling good.
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7/10
Friendship is Fun
albertval-6956031 December 2021
Heartfelt and funny at the same time. What's interesting is the encounter of two distinct cultures with comedic outcomes. The other interesting aspect is the linguistic skill of a Vietnamese actor who appears to speak fluent Spanish. Or is it considering that Vietnam was once under a European colonial power?

The actors portraying the characters of Carmen, Rosa and Elvira are engaging, and the viewer feels he/she is part of the conversation.

They project true friendship.

The added bonus is you get to see some of the scenic spots of this fast-growing country like Ha Long Bay and Ho Hoan Kiem, one of several charming lakes in Hanoi.
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3/10
Completely unrealistic
nathanielphor30 March 2019
As soon to be adoptive parents, this movie is completely unrealistic. The movie portrays adoption in ways that I found difficult to stomach, in particular because adoption in the movie was all about the parents (grandparents) while the needs of the child was played down. If you were looking for a movie about adoption to gain a deeper understanding of it as we were, stay away. If looking for a fun movie, it has its moments, but not massively so.
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3/10
Comedy out of place in; would have been a great film
todd-ramirez21 December 2018
I generally enjoy mixing humor with drama but here the comedy felt like it was put in just for the sake of having some jokes blended in. I had high hopes for the movie but where they injected humor it was out of place and distracted from the flow of the story.
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8/10
Heartwarming
virginia-720-69250021 May 2018
A heartwarming story about a Spanish woman determined to complete the adoption of a Vietnamese child following her daughters death. Filmed beautifully in Viet Nam. Full of love and humor.
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10/10
My Heart Melted
thanhtructranthien20 July 2018
What a lovely movie with cultural charms and sweet humorous plot! Beautiful cinematography. Moving dialogues. Happy ending for every one. Yay!
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8/10
Just the Right Mix
TrTm31617 October 2018
I watched this because I'd seen Dani Rovira and Carmen Machi in Spanish Affair (1 & 2), and I had high expectations that Thi Mai might blend this slightly more serious plot with just the right amount of heartwarming humor. I wasn't disappointed!

When her daughter dies just as she's been approved to adopt a young orphaned Vietnamese girl, Carmen travels there with friends hoping to adopt the child herself. Battling bureaucracy and lack of a common language, Carmen won't give up, determined to coax some ray of goodness from a sad beginning.

A lot of light films resolve big problems in ways that are ridiculous. Thi Mai does better than many, with a solution that mixes the unlikely with the credible. The scenery, both rural and urban, is fascinating to those of us who haven't been there. My only gripe is that Vietnamese dialog wasn't subtitled. Perhaps the director wanted us to feel the protagonists' limitations?

If you're ready for a gentle tug on your heartstrings, this is a movie well worth seeing.
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8/10
Bitter sweet.
m-r-brooksphillips5 December 2018
I thought the film incredibly touching and the whole cast brilliant . I liked the mixture of characters with their various complexities . The women , a close knit group of friends still had space for more friends in their lives . Will have to watch again with my husband .
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10/10
Very Fun Watch !
fijifranny320 August 2018
Really clever and funny plus beautiful Vietnam footage...even better if you speak Spanish ! Recommend !
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10/10
WOW
juramentalo25 October 2019
IT IS LIKE A TRIP TO HAPPY AREAS OF WORLD AND HEART... MUST WATCH.. CONGRATS SPANISH PEOPLE AGAIN.. IT WILL BE 8/10 IF IT WAS AMERICAN MOVIE.
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10/10
It made me cry
marvelnovaprime24 March 2020
I have seen this movie about 5 times. It makes me cry every time I see it without exception. It is beautiful and wonderful. Carmen Machi plays a great role.

I have heard that many people complain about this film for lack of realism. So what?
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10/10
Love it!
teenanguyen20 October 2018
Beautiful movie with both cultures. I wishes they would remake another one. It's also so funny. Highly recommend for others to watch.
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10/10
Entertaining, fun, and even moving
DogeGamer201530 August 2020
It's a good movie, it has a good story, and it also shows us the beauty of Vietnam.
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10/10
Amazing
arisakabayonetrifle17 January 2021
Very nice watch. Comedy appreciated. Found it while I'm bored and decided to give it a try. I have to say I am not disappointed but rather highly entertained. 10/10 would watch again
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9/10
Loved it
itansi24 January 2021
It is witty, hearth warming, hopeful and has great sceneries.
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10/10
Beautiful story
Tragic and comic at the same time but with a very happy ending. I enjoyed it very much. The way Dani Rovira and Carmen Mach switch from comic to tragic is amazing. Loved it!
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