As one of the Chinese films that received much attention before airing, "Kieu So" by Tran Do Linh attracted audiences thanks to its famous original and bustling promotion campaign. But right from the first episodes aired, the film caused much controversy.
Many opinions believe that "Kieu So" is a typical case of "media hot but content running out of breath". Among them, there are 3 major minus points mentioned the most.
Adapted scripts lose the appeal of the original
In "Kiều Sở", Sở Triêu (played by Trần Đô Linh) is the daughter of a general. To escape the fate of becoming a chess piece in the power struggle of the prince of Sở Tiêu Tuần, she actively changed her destiny.
On that journey, Sở Triêu meets Tạ Yến Lai (played by Chu Dực Niên), a person of low background in the Tạ family. Both grow up in the midst of court turmoil, gradually breaking Tiêu Tuần's conspiracy, protecting the country of Đại Sở and saving the people from war and chaos.
With content revolving around power, war and the adulthood journey of the female lead, the film was once expected to fully recreate the appeal of the famous original, but many people commented that the script after adaptation has significantly reduced the depth of the story.
In the original, the female lead is both sharp and rich in emotional depth, gradually turning the tide in the middle of court struggles, using her intelligence and bravery to break down each conspiracy.
But when it comes to the screen, the power of strategy is significantly reduced to give way to the emotional line, making the film lack depth.
Controversial acting
Tran Do Linh continues to score points thanks to her outstanding appearance and meticulously invested ancient costumes in "Kieu So". The elegant beauty and noble lady spirit are considered quite suitable for the image of So Trieu.
But, her acting caused many mixed opinions. Sở Triêu is a character with a journey of growing up with many upheavals, requiring the ability to express complex inner feelings, but many viewers commented that Trần Đô Linh has not created a breakthrough.
In many emotional scenes, her expressions are quite monotonous, lacking highlights. Others commented that her performance style is not much different from previous roles, making the character not leave a clear mark.
Meanwhile, the male lead is also assessed as not attractive enough in terms of acting and chemistry with his co-stars, reducing the attractiveness of the emotional line in the film.
Over-image processing
Before broadcasting, "Kieu So" impressed thanks to promotional images with cinematic colors and meticulously invested costumes. But when it aired, many viewers said that the actual quality was not commensurate with what was introduced.
The biggest point of controversy lies in the post-production stage when the crew was accused of abusing the beauty filter. The faces of the actors from main to supporting roles were overly smoothed, miniaturized and lengthened, making many characters look similar to each other.
The male roles are also similar from face to expression, to the point that some people compare the male lead to being "divided", causing many people to joke that the film is "not for blind people" (people who find it difficult to distinguish faces).
Excessive image processing also makes many close-up scenes unnatural, reducing the ability of actors to convey emotions. Some battle scenes, special effects, props and settings are also considered not magnificent enough compared to the scale that the film has promoted.
Although there are still many episodes not broadcast, initial feedback shows that "Kieu So" is facing many challenges.
