The Sympathizer Early Review

The following is a spoiler-free review of The Sympathizer, premiering April 14th on HBO and Max in the US and Crave in Canada.

Releasing a teaser nearly a year ago, the hype for HBO’s next big limited series has slowly grown ever since. Dropping before the release of the behemoth that was Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Robert Downey Jr.’s much-deserved Best Supporting Actor Oscar win last month has only added to that momentum. His presence here could be felt all over the series, serving as an executive producer (alongside his wife Susan Downey) and largely in front of the camera, playing multiple characters who each contribute to the main story. Created by Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar, their presence can be felt as the series, based on the novel of the same name by Viet Thanh Nguyen, wears its Vietnamese roots on its sleeve as it tells a winding tale of the 1975 fall of the South Vietnamese government from the perspective of a half-Vietnamese and half-French undercover communist agent. Starting off with a bang with the fall of Saigon at the hands of the communist North Vietnamese forces, the result saw them spend time in a refugee camp in Arkansas before being relocated to Los Angeles. Known only as the Captain (Hoa Xuande), the context behind the perspective in which he recounted the story was a complicated one to say the least but exploring that unique perspective and the many complexities behind it, as it relates to the Vietnamese experience, was easily the best part of the series. A big reason for that is the absolute star-making performance from Xuande.

Those familiar with the source material will of course be better served here but the Captain wasn’t like everyone else and that proved to be a challenge for him in many ways. Being mixed race immediately made him a target growing up. Luckily for him, he would form a bond with who became his blood brothers, Bon (Fred Nguyen Khan) and Man (Duy Nguyen). From a young age, they vowed to take care of each other and that continued to the present. Losing his single mother while in the US to attend college, it was all he had left. Meanwhile, the Captain also happened to be a North Vietnamese mole that managed to infiltrate the South Vietnamese secret police, assuming the role of second-in-command to its head, the General (Toan Le). The General, however, was also working with a shady CIA agent (Downey Jr.), someone with a vested interest in him and the exploits of the South Vietnamese government, using the Captain as his own mole. Forging a new path from Hanoi to eventually Los Angeles for a select group of survivors that included he, the General, and Bon, that dynamic between he and the General continued. However, succumbing to American culture and becoming further marginalized on the world stage with each passing day, the General fought to maintain he and his peoples’ independence as his goal was to take back their country from the so-called North Vietnamese invaders.

In the middle of managing all those moving pieces, the Captain found himself working at a liberal arts college for a comically inept professor (Downey Jr.) specializing in Oriental Studies despite seeing Asians and Asian culture as a novelties, a commentary of how Asians and Asian culture were seen by Americans. However, his unique circumstances made him into a fascinating unicorn for the professor who in the end, was more interested in parading him around more than anything else. The line of those taking advantage of his perspective did not end there as he moved on to being a consultant on a major Hollywood production of a Vietnam War film. Given the chance to ensure some semblance of authenticity to the film and its story, his vision ultimately did not stand a chance against its director (Downey Jr.) and his vision. A commentary on the romanticization of war, the Captain looked to undermine the film and that vision until he paid the price, following a questionable accident on set. Reporting his actions back to his North Vietnam handler through invisible ink coded messages, the Captain’s identity grew fractured as his allegiances were tested.

When it came to the Captain’s original mission, something had to give as he had to make a choice and finally do what was right. A man who lived the majority of his life following orders, it was time to start asking questions about who he was and what he believed in. Taking an introspective journey through his life up to that point, viewers will encounter the origin of his highly coveted unique perspective, adding context to how the Captain became the person he was and how it impacted the way he operated in the grey area between different allegiances. Suffice it to say that navigating that complex tightrope was a difficult task but if there was anyone who could do it, it was him. Discovering the extent of what was truly going on and who was responsible for it, the relationships he developed along the way still weighed heavily on him which made what had to be done that much more complicated. Playing every side with that newfound awareness, his true allegiance was ultimately to his people, regardless if they were from the north or the south, and his blood brothers. As the story came full circle, the Captain faced his toughest test yet and one that could possibly shape the futures of he and his people.

A compelling character study, another highlight of The Sympathizer was its style. Capturing an authentic mid 1970s look and feel, it was also unapologetically Vietnamese as it embraces a lot of their cultures and traditions and shows their resiliency in the face of a growing tidal wave of Americanism. Putting its budget to great use, its production design is top notch and the series offers a fair share of showstopping shots and sequences, setting the tone with the fall of Saigon. Beautifully shot, it immerses viewers into its world, pulling them further into the arc of the Captain who was merely a vehicle for whom his experiences were meant to serve as a commentary on war and what it means to be American. His perspective perhaps made him the best way to explore that, operating from an ideological middle ground, while the Robert Downey Jr. characters served as analogs for different facets of the United States and American culture. Playing with the unreliable narrator trope, the series plays with the idea of perception and memory as the Captain’s story saw plenty of rewrites.

Above all else, what holds the series together was Xuande’s sensational and star-making lead performance as the Captain. In his first major role, he shows a level of charm and charisma beyond his years, creating a likeable and relatable character that could believably maneuver within multiple worlds and handle the emotional depth of what that position entailed for better or worse. Grabbing viewers from the first episode and not letting go until the final seconds of the final episode, he is a name to look out for. Meanwhile, RDJ shines as multiple characters who are more than just gimmicks, each playing a vital role in the story. Clearly having a blast in a supporting role (or roles) that are all variations of over-the-top but they all fit within the general tone of the series, drama with hints of dark comedy, and are a blast to watch without overshadowing Xuande. Also, the predominantly Vietnamese supporting cast all deliver great work. The dynamic between Xuande and Khan as Bon was easily the undisputed heart of the series.

At the end of the day, The Sympathizer brings plenty of tension and representation to the table, taking viewers on a phenomenal journey led by a star-making turn from Hoa Xuande.

still courtesy of HBO

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.