Mai (2024 film)
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- Nguyễn Hữu Tường Vi
- Trấn Thành
- Nguyễn Phương Thảo
- Phương Anh Đào
- Tuấn Trần
- Trấn Thành
- Ngọc Giàu
- Khả Như
- Uyển Ân
- Anh Đức
- Việt Anh
- Hồng Đào
| MɅI | |
|---|---|
 The cinema poster of the film | |
| Directed by | Trấn Thành |
| Screenplay by | Nguyễn Thanh Bình |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Diệp Thế Vinh |
| Music by | Nguyễn Hoàng Anh |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | CJ CGV |
Release date |
|
Running time | 131 minutes |
| Country | Vietnam |
| Language | Tiếng Việt |
| Budget | 50 billion VND[1] |
| Box office | 551.2 billion VND[2][3] |
Mai (stylized as: MɅI) is a 2024 Vietnamese romantic drama film directed by Tran Thanh.[4] By March 1, 2024, after 20 days of release, the film officially grossed over 500 billion VND, becoming the highest-grossing film in Vietnamese box office history.[5] The film also helped Tran Thanh become the first and only director in Vietnam to have a total revenue of over 1,000 billion VND after Bo Gia, Nha Ba Nu, and Mai.[6]
Development
The film was invested by Tran Thanh with a budget of 50 billion VND, 2 years of conceptualization and scriptwriting, and 1 year of production.[7]
Initially, the role of Mai's father was assigned by Tran Thanh to People's Artist Viet Anh, however, he later decided to take on this antagonistic role. According to him, due to pressure from the production team and his inability to play the role of Uncle Ut, he had to give the role of Uncle Ut to People's Artist Viet Anh, while he took on the role of Mai's father.[8] Regarding rumors about casting actors based on familiarity, director Tran Thanh also affirmed: "I never cast someone just because they know me but are not suitable for the role in the film. I never do that."[8]
Filming
The film was shot over 47 non-consecutive days, from April 30 to July 15, 2023. According to Tuan Tran, the second intimate scene in the film between him and Phuong Anh Dao had to be filmed over 4 days due to issues with lighting or angles, as per the opinions of Tran Thanh and Diep The Vinh. He also shared that this was the first project where he played a role with an intimate scene.[9] For the scenes at the 122 An Binh apartment complex, it was initially thought that filming would last up to a month. However, after surveying the location, the film crew only shot there for 7 days before moving to a film studio in Go Vap to shoot other scenes.[10]
Music
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performed by | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sau lời từ khước" | Phan Mạnh Quỳnh | Phan Mạnh Quỳnh | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Những con sông ngón tay" | Trần Đức Minh and Phan Lê Hà | Trần Thu Hà | 5:25 |
| 3. | "Đen đá không đường" | LyLy | Amee | 3:00 |
| 4. | "Bartender" | Ngọt | Ngọt | 5:18 |
| 5. | "Mùa thu mây ngàn" | Từ Công Phụng | Từ Công Phụng | 4:59 |
| Total length: | 22:53 | |||
The song "Sau lời từ khước" by Phan Mạnh Quỳnh even became the number 1 trending music on YouTube Vietnam.[11][12][13] At the same time, the song also topped other digital music platforms such as iTunes, Apple Music, NCT Realtime, and Zing MP3.[13]
Release
Promotion
On November 28, 2023, Trấn Thành and the distribution company officially announced the film Mai and set the release date for February 10, 2024, the first day of Lunar New Year. The first look and teaser poster of the film were released, featuring actress Phương Anh Đào in the lead female role. On January 10, 2024, the distributor officially launched the trailer and official poster, revealing the full story of the love between the characters Mai and Dương. On February 20, after more than a week of screening, the film crew released a sad poster in line with the theme of the movie for the first time. The character Mai is depicted crying, with burdens symbolized by figures on her head that represent the weight of her fate.[13] According to Trấn Thành, "Mai is a realistic perspective on life."[13]
Releasing on the first day of Lunar New Year in 2024, the film faced competition from director Nhất Trung's movie Gặp lại chị bầu.[14] Additionally, two other Vietnamese films were released during this period: Sáng đèn—a film about cải lương by director Hoàng Tuấn Cường, and Trà by director Lê Hoàng. However, both films were withdrawn from theaters on February 11 and February 14, respectively. This marked the first time in 10 years that two Vietnamese New Year films were pulled from theaters just days after their release. Many speculated that the reason was "fear" and "pressure" from Trấn Thành's film Mai.[15][16]
On May 17, 2024, the film was officially released on the Galaxy Play and Netflix platforms.[citation needed]