THE 4 RASCALS Review: Vietnamese Comedy of Errors Sometimes Turns Dark

Comedian and former television host Trấn Thành writes, directs, and plays a supporting role in his fourth feature film, The 4 Rascals.

The 4 Rascals (Bo Tu Bao Thu)
The film opens March 14 in Canada, the U.S., England, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, France, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, via 3388 Films. Visit the official site for locations and showtimes.

The director's role is that of Uncle 11, one of the titular rascals, which includes his sister, Aunt 3 (Le Giang); their niece, Quynh Anh (Tieu Vy); and Quynh Anh's best friend, Kieu (Uyen An).

Initially, Kieu narrates the story, explaining how she and Quynh Anh became best friends, despite their differences. Bespectacled Kieu constantly downgrades her looks, while glorifying how much easier life is for the conventionally beautiful Quynh Anh.

As Kieu tells it, Quynh Anh was bound to meet an equally beautiful man and enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, free from worries. In fact, Quynh Anh meets the conventionally handsome Quoc Anh, played by the same-named Quoc Anh, a rising businessman. They soon move in together and enjoy six years of bliss.

Or is it? Their relationship has hit a rough spot; they do not communicate very well with each other, and Quynh Anh complains to Kieu that she and Quoc Anh are not terribly happy with each other anymore in their private lives, despite outward appearances. To add to Quynh Anh's unhappiness, Quoc Anh begins spending time with the very attractive Karen (Ky Duyen), who he describes to the suspicious Quynh Ah as a new client for his business.

Unhappy as she is, Quynh Anh begins to suspect that her boyfriend is developing feelings for his new client, and may even be having an affair. So she enlists the other 'rascals' to spy on them and to snoop around for any suspicious activity. To that end, Kieu turns to a tarot card reader named Jessica (Le Duong Bao Lam), who raises further suspicion in Quynh Anh's mind.

That's a lot of story! Mostly, though, it's all about misunderstandings between Quynh Anh and Quoc Anh, which are exacerbated by their lack of good communication.

Frankly, the trailer led me to believe that the movie would be much darker than it is, though not as dark as, say, Devil's Diner, which is much more my speed. (Now streaming on Netflix.)

Yet, as goofy as The 4 Rascals comes across in its opening sequences, it's so incredibly silly and slapstick that it's kinda irresistible. Filled with bright colors and sped-up action, it's like a puppy dog that knocks you over, repeatedly, but without malicious intent: the dog just wants to play.

It's only when typical romantic melodrama rears its ugly head that the film's pace begins to flag, as moral lessons are taught and repercussions reverberate, shaking the fragile structure of the narrative. By the concluding scenes, however, the film regains its sweet, comic composure, promising to send viewers home happy.