Rock the Bayrong: Indomina ‘Clash’ with Vietnamese Actioner

A Vietnamese actioner that has been described as “a high-octane martial-arts ass-kicker”, Indomina Releasing continue their slate building for their break-out year next year with another acquisition from the Far East. It might be way too early to call first time filmmaker Lê Thanh Son might be Vietnman’s answer to Tony Jaa or Johnnie To, but with Clash being picked up internationally certainly bodes well for this filmmakers’ career.

The Gist: Domestically known as “Bayrong”, this sees Trinh, a mercenary who must complete a series of organized crime jobs for her boss in order to win the release of her kidnapped daughter. She hires several mercenaries to help, including Quan (Spider-Man I & II stuntman and action star Johnny Tri Nguyen), who she becomes attracted to. Trinh and Quan’s relationship becomes complicated as it becomes evident that their motivations are not the same.

Worth Noting: It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival last April, and Indomina might have got further positive feedback from international audiences from its recent showing at the 43rd edition of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.

Why Do We Care?: We don’t really….but Salon.com’s Andrew O’Hehir asks the question for us: “Is this great cinema? Hardly. It’s action-packed candy, full of sentimentality, angular haircuts, designer shades and deluxe locations.“

Media: Theatrical domestic trailer explains why this earned over $1 Million U.S. (the country’s highest grossing film in 2009).