The Scent of Green Papaya

Rating:
Summary: A little self indulgent, but worth having
Review: While with "Cyclo," Anh Hung Tran proved he knows tempo, I found SGP a trifle self indulgent and just a bit immature. Is it a beautiful film? Yes, it is. Is it worth having? Certainly. Is it an important contribution? Indeed. But the larger question is, as a technical issue does it deserve critical acclaim in excess of "Cyclo?" I don't think so. I also don't see why Maltin can accept this film's slowness and then be put off by the tempo of some modern Chinese works he has criticized.