Why was 'Quan Ky Nam' so 'desolate' when it was released in theaters?

The film Quan Ky Nam received many good reviews from experts but still had a dismal revenue when shown in theaters. This is raising "concerns" among filmmakers and film critics.

Good movies do not mean good revenue

Quan Ky Nam was shot on 35mm film, impressing with its richly aesthetic frames, nostalgic lighting and realistically recreating post-unification Saigon. That is a striking difference in a market that has been flooded with commercial films recently.

Ky Nam Restaurant marks the return of director Leon Le after the success of Song Lang in 2018.

PHOTO: Manufacturer

The film tells the love story of a translator and the owner of Ky Nam Restaurant, led by Leon Le with a slow, restrained and delicate rhythm. Not chasing after climax or drama, the work delves into ordinary life and very small emotional collisions. The performances of Do Thi Hai Yen and Lien Binh Phat are said to be in harmony with this spirit: restrained but profound.

Despite receiving positive reviews from filmmakers and film critics, the film's revenue is still quite dismal, only over 2 billion VND after a few days of release. Many opinions say that the reason is because Quan Ky Nam has not been well promoted and is scheduled to be shown at times that are not convenient for viewers in general.

Talking to Thanh Nien reporter, screenwriter Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc (from the US), also co-screenwriter of the film Quan Ky Nam, analyzed: "I once heard a 'manager' orient his stage that there are 7 parts to earn revenue to support 3 parts to be an artistic work (but gradually, he moved to a ratio of 9/1). Very few works satisfy both requirements completely from the inside (emotion) to the outside (technique, visual language...) like the film Parasite by Bong Joon Ho (Korea) to be able to conquer the audience and judges of film festivals. As for Quan Ky Nam , many of my colleagues think that the entertainment factor here is only 10%".

Despite receiving many compliments, Quan Ky Nam was quite "desolate" when it was released in theaters.

PHOTO: Manufacturer

According to media expert Chau Quang Phuoc, the film Quan Ky Nam has had problems in the media right from its launch and screening. Initially, it seemed that the filmmakers only wanted to introduce this film to the "elite" class, not paying much attention to the general audience. But among those "elite" viewers, how many people will actually have life experiences with the context of the film's story?

"The film media also seems to have not reached the audience of the Southerners at that time, the Saigonese who had many conflicts and changes in their lives in the 1980s. At the same time, the film media seems to have not had much connection with the young audience born after this turbulent period in the South, or with any audience in any region. While the film was shown all over the country," Mr. Chau Quang Phuoc added.

According to film critic Nguyen Phong Viet, " Quan Ky Nam is a beautiful film, with depth, good aesthetics from content, camera angles, actors... but it is necessary to recognize that the theatrical film market is for young audiences, while the color of Quan Ky Nam 's film is a bit off from the current audience's taste. The current Vietnamese audience's taste is very difficult to predict. A bad film is fine, but a good film with poor revenue is also normal. Films that are sophisticated, have touching points but lack drama, do not have a twist that makes the audience's emotions find a climax, will find it difficult to find success in terms of revenue", critic Nguyen Phong Viet commented.

Theaters have opened more showtimes and good times.

Regarding the fact that theaters have not arranged convenient screening times for Quan Ky Nam to reach more audiences, the representative director of a large theater complex in Ho Chi Minh City (who asked to remain anonymous) shared with Thanh Nien : "Usually, before a movie is released, the producer will organize a separate screening for the theater systems. Each theater will assign a number of staff to be in charge of the schedule as well as invite theater managers to watch, then evaluate whether the movie is suitable for their audience or not to arrange screenings. Theater managers are responsible for revenue KPIs, so you will schedule according to revenue criteria. Scheduling screenings is always prioritized according to audience needs."

Screenwriter Nguyen Thi Minh Ngoc also said: "When cinema complexes see a film with potential, they will automatically increase screenings and choose good times for both sides to benefit. Currently, although Galaxy is the main distributor, when demand for this film increases, CGV has been opening more screenings and good times for us."

Speaking more about this issue, Mr. Nguyen Phong Viet said that the theaters will of course arrange the screenings based on the tastes of the audience. When the first screenings of a film have few tickets sold, the theaters will certainly prioritize films that suit the tastes of more audiences. Theaters are the ones who understand the market and understand the tastes of the audience.

"The screenings of Quan Ky Nam were too few right from the first days of its release, which inevitably limited the access of the general audience. In my opinion, Vietnamese films like Quan Ky Nam have a place to live if from the beginning the filmmakers and distributors have enough confidence in the 'living conditions' for it. Besides, the way the film is communicated and promoted needs to have more in-depth 'touch points', so that it is enough to 'anchor' the minds of viewers when they have the opportunity to access it through official and popular information channels as well as 'sidelines' such as social networking platforms", added communication expert Chau Quang Phuoc.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/vi-sao-quan-ky-nam-lai-diu-hiu-khi-ra-rap-185251204155400337.htm