Hong Dao and Tuan Tran without Tran Thanh

Nearly two years later Tomorrow belong to Tran Thanh, the audience once again witnessed Tuan Tran and Hong Dao combine on screen, in the movie Take mother away by Mo Hong Jin. This time, although it is still a mother-daughter relationship with many conflicts, in reality, the pair of actors have to face a challenge that is significantly different from before.

With the tear-jerking filmmaking style, the Korean director places his characters in the great tragedies of human life, in this case, illness and loss. In a tragic role that requires not only to bring tears to the audience but also a certain depth, both Tuan Tran and Hong Dao have shown positive changes after two years, from their own performance to their harmony in working together.

More in tune and refined

In In Abandoning Mother , Tuan Tran and Hong Dao play the role of a mother and son with difficult family circumstances. Hoan (Tuan Tran) is just a barber, without even a place to make a living, having to make a temporary living on the sidewalk. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hanh (Hong Dao) has severe Alzheimer's disease, can no longer recognize anyone, and relies on her son for all her personal activities.

Just when they thought they had enough trouble, another incident struck, pushing them into a situation they didn’t know how to overcome. Inheriting part of his mother’s illness from Mrs. Hanh, Hoan also suffered from a neurological disease early on, causing him to have seizures many times. Partly because he felt his life was too hard, partly because he was worried that his mother would not be able to take care of him due to illness, Hoan found a way to “abandon” his mother to his brother in Korea – someone he had never met.

It's not hard to spot the difference in this project compared to the collaboration two years ago. Mai , both of them transformed into a rich mother and son, not under pressure of money. The conflict between them comes from the mother forbidding her son's love - a type of conflict that is familiar in Vietnamese films, from cinema to television. Most of the time they appear together, the duo is associated with conflicting and confrontational scenes.

Despite the not-so-new role, the chemistry between Tuan Tran and Hong Dao is still the highlight that helps the film receive positive feedback. Many times, both of them bring the audience into the suffocating atmosphere of family tension, when each side has its own arguments. Through the debates, they both create pressure and threaten each other's wishes, sometimes even making the other side waver thanks to sharp dialogues.

However, at times, the duo’s performances were lacking in substance, with many of their dialogues being overdramatic, with an overuse of screaming and eye-rolling expressions. They also lacked moments of subtle emotion, enough to allow the audience to feel the characters’ struggles. Instead, their inner struggles were overshadowed by their somewhat exaggerated performances.

Next In Mang Me Di Bo , the two brought a more subtle combination. It cannot be denied that the script also contributed significantly, when Hoan and Mrs. Hanh were not the type of antagonistic conflict, there were tense dialogues. However, when the characters were placed in the great tragedies of life, it was the restraint of both in the tragic scenes that helped the roles not fall into the "trap" of self-pity, making the audience tired.

The mother-daughter relationship, at times deeply loving, at other times “powerless” wanting the best for each other but unable to, is fully conveyed. This bond easily becomes the center of the story, leading the audience from life’s tragedies to quiet moments - where the characters express their love through just a look.

And to achieve that, not only thanks to the perfect transformation of each individual, but Tuan Tran and Hong Dao really had great chemistry in their second time working together.

The acting of Hong Dao and Tuan Tran is the "money point" in Mang me di bo.

The multifaceted nature of Hong Dao and how Tuan Tran has improved

Tomorrow is the work that paved the way for 2 years of non-stop acting of Hong Dao. During that period, there are few actors who have had as many works as her; and almost no one who has gone through the ups and downs of domestic cinema - with more controversy than praise - and still maintained a stable performance, regardless of the quality of the works, like the 62-year-old actress.

With 5 works in 2 years, Hong Dao shows an elusive multifacetedness. Both are mothers, but when they are "steel barriers" protecting their children from what they think is right in Mai , at times became a patriarchal, domineering woman. Lynx , then turned into a thorny but wounded mother with Sister-in-law .

And now, in Take mother away, One can also see two opposite sides in the same role , sometimes absent-minded and soulless in the amnesia scenes, sometimes tormented and helpless in the rare moments of lucidity.

Mrs. Hanh, in the amnesia scenes, may appear like a child with naive perceptions and impulsive actions. However, viewers can still clearly see the pain inside her, from her off-the-cuff lines about faraway Korea, to her bewilderment when remembering her late husband and estranged child; and most of all, the love she has for Hoan, both when she is sober and when she is not.

In director Mo Hong Jin's films, the actress also brings about a sense of silence, when her eyes replace the dialogue, and also when the character's pain is present in almost every frame, even when Mrs. Hanh does not appear.

With so many levels, it is clear that there is hardly any name in Vietnam that can convey like Hong Dao.

On the other hand, Tuan Tran showed that he had made great progress after 2 years. Before that, the roles that brought success to Tuan Tran all had the same color, which was the mischievous, talkative, and somewhat "sassy" and careless qualities of a young man. Until now, the actor's acting has always been rated at a good level.

However, since he stopped working with Tran Thanh, Tuan Tran's career has somewhat stagnated, as he is no longer given well-developed characters and compatible co-stars, capable of creating chemistry between the two. Besides, taking on similar roles for a long time also makes his acting style more or less repetitive.

Take mother away shows that Tuan Tran has reached maturity in acting, especially in his ability to lead the audience through complex emotional changes. In him, there is a struggle between love and helplessness, between the desire to keep his mother and the thought of letting go so that both can feel more at ease. The changes in his eyes, gestures and dialogue clearly depict each mood, making the character's journey convincing.

However, Tuan Tran sometimes shows haste when switching from one emotional state to another, making the performance not really smooth. Some parts lack the necessary pause for the emotions to "soak" better.

However, compared to previous roles, this is still a clear step forward, once again proving that Tuan Tran is one of the promising names in domestic cinema today.

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/hong-dao-va-tuan-tran-khi-khong-tran-thanh-3371221.html