FURIE: A MOTHER’S LOVE…AND FISTS

The action genre is certainly seeing and upswing when it comes to films from the east. Chinese, Korean and now Vietnam. Well Go, a company that seems dedicated to bringing the best of these films to the world, has just released another film that combines the heart wrenching drama of child kidnapping with martial arts mayhem that will keep you watching from start to finish. The movie is FURIE and it packs a wallop.

Veronica Ngo stars as Hai Phuong, a woman with a past trying to make do and support her young daughter Mai by collecting debts for the local loan shark in a small town in Vietnam. Bullied due to her mother’s job choice one day while at the market Mai is hurt when Hai doesn’t believe her. Running off she is quickly grabbed by a set of kidnappers. Hai chases them down but they escape. Asking around she discovers their destination, Ho Chi Minh City.

Following any and all leads she heads to the city, a place she left long ago that’s filled with only bad memories. It was here that she disappointed her family, getting pregnant by a gangster who left her behind. In order to survive she became a gangster herself, a dangerous woman who could take on any and all comers in a fight. When her pregnancy doesn’t allow this any longer is when she left.

Back in Ho Chi Minh City, she seeks help from the acquaintances from her past. They turn her down. She goes to the police who seem less than interested but while scouring their office she sees a potential lead. Hai seeks out a known ex-gangster like herself, someone who is known to have information named Truc. A fight breaks out between the two and only because of his mother’s pleading does Hai allow him to live. He gives her information and she leaves.

Not long after a police detective named Luong comes to Truc’s as well. Truc is only to ready to give him what information he provided to Hai. Before he can make his way to the child trafficker’s hideout Hai gets there. Taking on all comers she defeats them one by one until she meets up with the leader of the gang. Beaten down one would think this would end it all. But with the help of Luong Hai once more lifts herself up, determined to save the one thing that matters to her more than life itself, her daughter.

It’s easy to see that the action in the film comes in the form of the various fights that Hai finds herself in. But the drama that combines well with the action here revolves around multiple stories. There is Hai and her past that catches up to her. There is Mai who wants to help but finds herself at odds with her mother. This normal relationship between parent and child, that certain amount of rebelliousness, works well with this story. Added to this is the story of child traffickers, a worldwide scourge that is seeing a much larger problem these days.

All of these items could have been tossed in a blender only to see how they poured out. Instead we have a well thought out drama with touches of violence that works on all levels. That’s not an easy task to accomplish and yet it is done well here.

Something is always “lost in translation” when you find yourself reading subtitles. That being said enough is still able to be gathered by the performances here that you find yourself caring for everyone involved. The story is well thought out and that provides each and every actor with the chance to come at this full throttle and give it their all. And that’s exactly what they do.

I’m a fan of martial arts films but this one was something a little different. It’s one of the more enjoyable ones I’ve seen in some time and can highly recommend. Be willing to look past the subtitles and enjoy the film on its own merits. Sometimes it’s nice to be open minded. You’ll never know what you’ve missed if you don’t try.

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