In the book Sympathetic (2015) by Viet Thanh Nguyen, everything that can go wrong with its tormented protagonist will go wrong. Much worse is that little by little it will become clear that the web of disasters surrounding his life, like a double spy, is about to lead him to certain death. This sense of impending disaster carried over almost entirely into its HBO adaptation. But beyond that, in seven chapters the series achieves what seemed like its most difficult task. Giving this twisted tale of crossed loyalties the same mockingly sinister tone as the original. Nothing seems certain (even if it is) in exploring the world after the Vietnam War.
But more than that Sympathetic It is a satire on evil, violence and current politics. And all this is in the context of how the Western world understands and caricatures Asians. This leads the first two chapters to some uncomfortable and powerful places about what cinema and its symbols think is real. With this meta link that allows the series to include references to films such as The apocalypse has arrived And thin red line — the plot develops according to its main premise. Namely: how an unnamed character (Hoa Xuande) observes American capitalism and at the same time communism in his native Vietnam. And all this in the midst of a mission of twisted cultural subversion that crosses decades, ideologies, and the darkest places of both political systems.
Sympathetic
The Sympathizer is a rare blend of political thriller and satire, combining political tension with a tongue-in-cheek take on power. A script of extremes that works thanks to its creator, director Park Chan-wook’s ability to tell a complex story through visuals. But beyond the advances in night lighting and subjective camerawork, what makes the production a success is its cast. Specifically, Robert Downey Jr. in four different roles.
But Sympatheticthis is not an attempt to be preachy or moralistic. Rather, it is a twisted analysis of a world in which all extremes think they are right to destroy each other. Showrunner Park Chan-wook, known for his twisted fantasies and excesses, takes the script and turns it into a series of disturbing scenes. On the one hand, how this character, who is mixed race – the son of a Vietnamese mother and a Frenchman – and has no real cultural place, observes his surroundings. On the other hand, this observation makes it not a critical element, but rather an anomalous element. A person is held hostage between two different pressures, and who must decide which one is best for him to betray. Which he’ll end up doing – or at least trying to do – in the middle of a series full of vicious sarcasm about today’s society.
In The Sympathizer, nothing is as it seems.
Although it may seem that this is not a story about double standards. In fact, the show is more interested in analyzing how things are the same in politics. And further, since ideologies are only advantages for power, no matter who has it.
It’s certainly a complex premise, which the script tells through a man with heterochromia who, with the help of a pair of contact lenses, can change his ethnic origin. Or try something that will turn you into a human chameleon. Hoa Xuande brings a rare vulnerability to her character. who grows from a sad teenager into a man convinced that he must kill or be killed.
Don McKellar’s script skillfully captures the life of a spy who eventually falls in love with capitalism but remains an ardent supporter of communism. In fact, this argument raises the uncomfortable idea that, ultimately, every political system is based on the shortcomings of the men and women it governs. Gradually, the anonymous character discovers that spying for one government or another is almost the same thing, only each extreme requires something different. And he ensures this in an attempt to survive that becomes increasingly painful as the lines between his loyalties blur.
Robert Downey Jr. in a role specially created for him
This is when the numerous characters played by actor Robert Downey Jr. come onto the scene. All in order to show the ugliness of capitalism through its several incarnations. In a risky move, the production allows the actor to play anyone from a professor to a politician, all against the backdrop of a sense of similarity in greed. The resolution of the dispute is almost always justified and The recent Oscar winner has enough versatility to bring character to each figure.
In general, there is a lot of artificiality in this role-playing game, which ultimately turns out to be not as interesting, or at least cynical, as the plot claims. In some cases, character acting ends up being more gimmicky than effective. Especially when Downey Jr. is supposed to look aged and the makeup is lacking, making him look little less than a caricature. However, the performer is talented enough to not let these mistakes hinder his performance. And in fact, it’s his abilities that support several of the series’ best chapters.
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Sympatheticuses the actor’s energy to correct the moments when the politics become tedious and the tangle of ideas that are not fully resolved. But with Downey Jr. at the helm, even long speeches about the future and greed are smart meditations on greed. That’s not always all the series needs to move forward in its dark moments, but when it does, it makes for a spectacle worth watching. And also in one of the most interesting ones released so far in 2024.
Source: Hiper Textual
