Someone check on Trấn Thành. The writer-director dissects and dismembers relationships and love with such decisive precision, I can only hope that directing and co-writing Bunny!! (Thỏ Ơi) has cured whatever ailed him. The film has been branded as a psychological thriller, but what endures is a film that considers what drives a relationship, and in the same breath, what unravels them.
Lyly stars as Hải Linh, the host of a relationship advice show on social media who invites guests to share their relationship woes, offering words of encouragement and guidance in return. On the surface, Hải Linh seems to live a perfect life with a thriving career and a perfect husband, Thế Phong (Vĩnh Đam). This apparent idyll becomes further emphasized in contrast to Hải Linh’s sister, Hải Lan (Văn Mai Hương), whose short tempermant creates palpable friction with her husband, Ngọc Sơn (Quốc Anh).
Bunny!! succeeds in hoodwinking its audience by taking us down a path that allows us to project our own biases and expectations onto the scorned wife, the “other woman,” the bitter and jealous wife. Trấn Thành feeds us a healthy helping of sympathy until he doesn’t.
At the heart of this complex journey is Pháo’s Nhật Hạ, a young woman struggling in her relationship with her partner, Trần Trung Kim (Trấn Thành, pulling quadruple duty on the film as a producer as well). Hạ and Kim’s relationship not only creates the wrinkle that ruffles Linh’s life, they also represent the other side of society not living in the same spacious comforts as Linh and Phong. While the film doesn’t press too much upon the socio-economic divide of its characters, the visuals speak loudly enough to raise those narrative threads.
The duality of Linh and Hạ on paper translates into two stunning performances from Lyly and Pháo. Although the two only share a few scenes together, the two actresses work together in tandem, one complementing the other perfectly. Văn Mai Hương adds to this dynamic as part emotional trip wire, and, along with Quỳnh Anh Shyn, Ngọc Nguyễn, and Ngọc Hoa, part comedic relief, lending the film a vibrant electricity.
As the drama of Bunny!! unfolds, Trấn Thành opts for the cries of melodrama rather than the sizzle of the psychological thriller genre. Those more familiar with Western-styling storytelling may find the excess distracting from the otherwise grizzly conclusion, but the decision aligns with the overall tone and styling of the film, forging a cohesive piece of filmmaking.
Even with the melodramatic notes threatening to derail the film, the events of the film present interesting discussion points post-watch, making Bunny!! a compelling story. Trấn Thành challenges the culpability of every character, offering a layered examination into the complexity of relationships. We enter the film hopping to particular conclusions, and we leave just looking for somebunny to hug.
