The Quiet American

Politically intricate and emotionally complex, The Quiet American is a gripping but understated, atmospheric thriller featuring Oscar nominee Michael Caine in his most profound performance in ages as a London Times reporter in Vietnam, circa 1952--just as the French are losing their grip on the country and the CIA is secretly laying groundwork for the U.S.'s ultimately disastrous involvement. Brendan Fraser costars as an ostensibly guileless American aid worker who befriends Caine but proves to have darker motives as the country is gripped in pre-war terrorism that shakes the reporter out of his stupor of complacent neutrality. Directed by the accomplished Phillip Noyce, who also helmed this year's Australian import Rabbit-Proof Fence, and brimming full of stirring dialogue by screenwriter Christopher Hampton, who adapted Graham Greene's novel of the same name, The Quiet American packs a powerful psychological punch. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD extras include selected audio commentary (by director Phillip Noyce, costars Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, and Tzi Ma, executive producer Sydney Pollack, producers Staffan Ahrenberg and William Horberg, co-writer Christopher Hampton, and Tran Anh Hoa, interpreter and advisor to Noyce), the 22-minute Sundance Channel production “Anatomy of a Scene,” a five-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, a Vietnam timeline with text and photos, three original book reviews, trailers, and DVD-ROM features (including an enhanced timeline). Bottom line: an impressive extras package for one of 2002's best.] (R. Blackwelder)