IR TV Review: THE SYMPATHIZER - EPISODE 1 [HBO]
The context of "The Sympathizer" is an interesting one because of the sides it plays but the ideas it trades in are also two-sided. The first episode is set in the final days before the fall of Saigon during the Vietnam War. The story is told from the perspective of The Captain (Hoa Xuande) who is actually working in a way under The General (Toan Le) and in congruence with a slippery CIA operative/power broker (Robert Downey Jr. in full make-up). There is a framing mechanism on the first episode however at the beginning and end which makes the endgame (or even the beginning game), an adjustment of sorts. The show in this pilot bumps back and forth in time within that first week so one understands the different cooperatives that are in play. The loyalties seem clear but in a way they get muddled along the way. The production knows what arena it is playing with. The series is created and partially directed by Park Chan-Wook (known for the original "Oldboy" and "Sympathy For Mr. Vengaence") and begets itself in his sense of irony and perspective.
The series is based on a book it seems by the spy it follows. It is an interesting play back and forth because of what he represents. It also helps that there is the blend of this man in the Captain (and thereby the actor Hoa Xuande) that can speak both fluent Vietnamese and unaccented English. This really allows for misdirects in a real interesting way in real time within the seeries. Robert Downey Jr. (even though his character is more a supporting player) is fantastic and is some of the best acting he has done. This is a more showy role than "Oppenheimer" but parallels in a different way to his role in "Tropic Thunder". Several of the shots when he pushes himself (especially during an interrogation room scene) is stunning. There is a bit of black comedy in the tone but there is a dark drama underneath. The tone here is a tricky thing since there needs to be stakes. It will just be a matter of perspective in both how the Captain responds to the situation and his interaction with the other players going forward that will affect the effectiveness of the series. B+
By Tim Wassberg
