Director: Le Thanh Son
Starring: Thanh Van Ngo and Johnny Nguyen
****
Le Thanh Son makes a striking debut impact in the Vietnamese action film Clash, about expert mercenary and devoted mother Trinh (Van Ngo) who is forced to use all of her skill and knowledge to complete a series of tasks to save the life of her young daughter.
She enlists the help of a fellow soldier of fortune, Quan (Nguyen), who becomes sympathetic to her cause and agrees to help her. The pair embark on a violent and blood-spattered journey together, and as Trinh becomes closer to being reunited with her daughter, she also becomes closer to her new partner.
A fine action film with plenty of spectacular set pieces, slick direction and an unusually strong female lead for this genre. The filmmaker also takes full advantage of the impressive Vietnamese landscapes, with parts of the film looking far more impressive than the micro-budget would suggest.
The style and swagger are backed up with a storyline that is engaging throughout the running time, although the pace does slow down midway through the film, causing it to feel uneven at times. Nevertheless, this is an impressive all-out actioner that fans of films such as Jason Statham's Transporter trilogy will adore.
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe
Brown/Black belt finals
3pm: 49kg female: Mayssa Bastos (BRA) v Thamires Aquino (BRA)
3.07pm: 56kg male: Hiago George (BRA) v Carlos Alberto da Silva (BRA)
3.14pm: 55kg female: Amal Amjahid (BEL) v Bianca Basilio (BRA)
3.21pm: 62kg male: Gabriel de Sousa (BRA) v Joao Miyao (BRA)
3.28pm: 62kg female: Beatriz Mesquita (BRA) v Ffion Davies (GBR)
3.35pm: 69kg male: Isaac Doederlein (BRA) v Paulo Miyao (BRA)
3.42pm: 70kg female: Thamara Silva (BRA) v Alessandra Moss (AUS)
3.49pm: 77kg male: Oliver Lovell (GBR) v Tommy Langarkar (NOR)
3.56pm: 85kg male: Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE) v Rudson Mateus Teles (BRA)
4.03pm: 90kg female: Claire-France Thevenon (FRA) v Gabreili Passanha (BRA)
4.10pm: 94kg male: Adam Wardzinski (POL) v Kaynan Duarte (BRA)
4.17pm: 110kg male: Yahia Mansoor Al Hammadi (UAE) v Joao Rocha (BRA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 4, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Lahiru Gamage appeared to have been hard done by when he had his dismissal of Sami Aslam chalked off for a no-ball. Replays suggested he had not overstepped. No matter. Two balls later, the exact same combination – Gamage the bowler and Kusal Mendis at second slip – combined again to send Aslam back.
Stat of the day Haris Sohail took three wickets for one run in the only over he bowled, to end the Sri Lanka second innings in a hurry. That was as many as he had managed in total in his 10-year, 58-match first-class career to date. It was also the first time a bowler had taken three wickets having bowled just one over in an innings in Tests.
The verdict Just 119 more and with five wickets remaining seems like a perfectly attainable target for Pakistan. Factor in the fact the pitch is worn, is turning prodigiously, and that Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers have also been finding the strip to their liking, it is apparent the task is still a tough one. Still, though, thanks to Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed, it is possible.
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