BLISS RATING: ★★★★+
“Love is a lot like a backache, it doesn’t show up on an X-ray, but you know it is there.” – George Burns
If anyone is familiar with the phrase “Alla Famiglia” made famous from the movie “MOONSTRUCK”, this is its Vietnamese counterpart. It is all about family and trying to fit in. Simply put, this is an entertaining, surprisingly well-acted, and totally fun series to watch. Sure, parts of it are corny, and there are some cringeworthy moments which I shall discuss later. It has sound effects that for me work although they should not have. The laugh track and added accent noises, while I cannot really explain why, just makes this series more convivial. It is a sitcom with a distinctive Vietnamese flair, making it fun to watch and enjoy. The story is about a family composed of a mother, daughter, and a son, who is returning to Vietnam from studying in the United States. However, he is bringing his ‘wife’.
The mother who is a stern, bitter, controlling individual has had to raise her children by herself after her husband (described as her soulmate) left her for another woman when they were young. And there is the sister who is unfocused, scattered, and sometimes dense but is astute enough to see things as they are and is a great mediator. Her life has not been a bed of roses either as her husband has beaten her more than once and is now divorced from him. Unfortunately, she is forced to stay with her mother.
Unbeknownst to mother, the son, Hung Cuong (Ba Do Hoang), brings home his ‘wife’ who happens to be Jacky Lam (Doan Huynh Duy Lam). The problem is that Jackie is a man and thus begins the saga of mother-in-law becoming monster-in-law. There really are some very funny scenes where she does dastardly ‘motherly’ manipulations to thwart the relationship but always to no avail as they both are just too much in love with each other. (Te Amo – to coin another phrase from MOONSTRUCK).
Despite its simplistic message of mother plainly does not like the ‘wife’, it is full of very good human interactions not only with the mother but with friends, co-workers, and eventually Hung’s unknown relationship with a stepbrother. Through all of that, Duy is always trying to fit in and become part of the family. Sometimes trying too hard. Some of the quirky interactions of co-workers of Hung were hysterical and I genuinely laughed out loud with the bumbling of the unrequited love of one of Hung’s co-workers for him. The sister, Thuy Duong (Kieu Ngan) also develops a love interest.
After delivering her brother’s manuscript to the publisher, Phuc Kang (Kang Pham), who is stunningly handsome. He is smitten and charmed by her, and their relationship begins. Kieu, as Thuy has perfect physical comedic timing. She is the goofball of this series, and her physical comedy is nearly perfect and a joy to watch. There is also a trans character in this series that is entertaining, funny, and totally in a zone of comfort that is quite refreshing. Normally I intensively dislike ‘drag’ characters as it is more of a mockery or to poke fun at. But Suong Suong (Thanh Tu) brings charm, wit, and a connection to each of the characters. She is nosy, curious, empathic, and an intensely loyal friend. Someone I would want in my corner as well. She never becomes a caricature and is just as real as all the other individuals. Her comedic timing is spot on as well.
Who really S.T.O.L.E. the series? This is an exceptionally well-acted ensemble of performers each with very distinctive characteristics, making them all noteworthy. But one for me stole the show and my heart and that is Doan Huynh Duy Lam as Jacky. Normally, I do not note the main actors for this distinction, but he is such an endearing character and one that has the greatest range of development. His comedic timing is also good, but it is his display of his passionate sense of loyalty and love for his husband that is so charming and noteworthy. He must deal with the nastiness of the mother, the intense connection with his husband, and the added pressure of trying to fit in to Vietnamese culture since he has not lived in Vietnam. While his Vietnamese is a bit underdeveloped, the way he uses that makes this series funny in ironic ways. It is just fun to watch. Doan is a solid performer and has about himself a charm that comes out in his eyes and his mannerisms. He has a boy-next-door look about him that simply adds to his handsomeness. He has sacrificed a lot to come live with his husband in Vietnam, leaving his sister alone in the United States. Something that I am sure plays on his mind and at times is evident.
This series is charming, incredibly funny, and filled with REAL people who are all relatable. We have all met people in our lives like who they portrayed. At the same time, the story lines are filled with sincere emotional dramas and in some cases real pain. Jealousy, unrequited love, desperately trying to fit in, and the pain of rejection of your soulmate are just some of the issues tackled in this series. Sometimes with humor; other times with strong emotional responses that left you teary eyed.
Some parts of this series were simply brilliantly written. But, as mentioned earlier, I have a hard time with using hitting as a means to get your anger or hurt across. The mother is continuously using slapping sometimes hard to display her displeasure or anger. This is offensive no matter the country or the customs or culture. Hitting people outside of self-defense is simply a bottom line of unacceptable tolerance. Even in the context of situations where it might seem funny or ‘not as bad as it seems’, it is still cringeworthy. I do wish all movies/series would stop this superfluous practice of abuse as a way to connect to someone’s displeasure. The sister’s abusive husband is glossed over too and there is some tone-depth dialogue between her mother and her telling her to go back to her husband. This is very outdated thinking and strange. No one needs to return to an abusive relationship. The whole situation with her abusive husband is sort of excused but for me it was very hard to understand why the mother was not more fully sympathetic to her daughter’s plight. What I also found disconcerting is the use of ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ in a gay relationship. It just seems to make the relationship more palatable rather than seeing them as husband-husband. Someone I guess must be labeled in relatable terms in a relationship. I do not pretend to know what acceptable relationship imagery in Vietnam is or looks like, and I have a lot to learn about other cultures. For me personally I would never call my husband my wife. That seems insulting. I am not from Vietnam, and I understand that my sensibilities are different.
Outside of the overreliance of hitting and the cavalier attitude towards abuse, none of the rest of it detracts from this series. It is well produced, well-acted, and just feels so natural and real. It is funny, poignant at times, and filled with real persons being themselves. I loved this series, and it would make a great weekly sitcom series as it has that kind of flair about it. I would be glued to my tv if this was the case because they all made it work so well.
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