It's 1952, and Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine) is the aging correspondent for the London Times in Saigon. France is in the process of being tossed out of Indochina, but the former doesn't realize it yet - Dien Bien Phu is still in the future - and its military fights on ineffectually against the communists. In the meantime, Fowler submits the occasional story to the head office while finding comfort in the arms of opium and his Vietnamese mistress Phuong (Do Hai Yen), a former taxi dancer at a local club. Then, one day, THE QUIET AMERICAN Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser) shows up. Pyle claims to be with a medical aid mission in country to combat trachoma, a bacterial disease causing blindness. But what is Pyle, really? He seems awfully chummy with the conniving powers over at the U.S. legation. In any case, Alden very soon falls in love with Phuong, attention that neither the jealous Fowler can prevent nor Phuong finds particularly unwelcome.

Not since LITTLE VOICE (1998) has Michael Caine acted so powerfully, and this is perhaps his greatest role ever. An Academy Award nomination is deservedly due. Fraser is perfect as the clean-cut, idealistic and naïve Yank who may be something other than he claims. Yen is positively exquisite as the delicate Phuong. As Fowler puts it, his death would begin if he lost her.

THE QUIET AMERICAN, based on the Graham Greene novel, can be seen as an allegorical story of America's fledgling interest in succoring Vietnam from the Red Menace. After all, the French seem unequal to the task. Pyle perhaps comes to symbolically represent the American innocence that is seduced by Vietnam in the form of Phuong, and the former wishes "to save" the latter from the escalating national chaos. Only the tired and world-weary Fowler knows that this is impossible. He would "save" Phuong himself if he could, but he can't.

THE QUIET AMERICAN is an anti-war, anti-intervention film best viewed these many years after America withdrew from its Southeast Asian debacle and passions have cooled. This is one of the best films of 2002.

Unbelievable and confused
Review date: 2005-01-26 Rating: 4 out of 10

I thought I would give this film a go as it was one of my recommendations, and I do like Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser. I thought it would be good to see what Brendan Fraser could do with a serious role.

Unfortunately I did not find much in this film to recommend it, and I am glad I only rented it.
There seems to be three main plot lines. The love triangle, the war mystery, and the male bonding of the two male leads.
I think two out of three would have been sufficient for the story. As it is all three a dealt with a lack of depth or reality, and each of the plot line gets in the way.
The best I can say for the Love triangle is that it is bizarre. There seems to be no reason for Phuong and Thomas to be together except maybe for money and a sense of boredom. When Alden 'comes-a-courting', Thomas just allows it to happen. I think most men in this situation would at least show mild annoyance.
The war mystery line starts to get under way but never goes any where, and the male friendship could be understandable except for the other plot lines. Why is Alden involved with this women when this would jeopardise his other motives for being in this country ?
Most of Fraser's puppy-eyed doting on Phuong is pitiful, and I am sure a women such as Phuong, who must be with Thomas to escape her poverty, would not ruin this 'for Love'. Fraser only shows some spark when his true nature comes forward towards the end.
This is not one of Caine's worst films, but it is far from his best. His characterisation is all over the place, and you do not get any sense of the motives, feelings and direction of this character. Towards the end of the film Thomas gets emotional, but you are left thinking why now ?

Pace wise the film is fine, and I am not sure the director could not have done much better with the substance he had. There is an indication of the atmosphere of the country given, and to some degree the smaller characters come over as more interesting

I have not read the original book, but either the books story and characters are ridiculously paper thin, or the conversion to screen play does not do it justice.

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