Deccade ago, in "Lao Cuu Mon", Trieu Le Dinh played the role of Doan Tan Nguyet. Although the duration of her appearance was not too much, her intelligence, agility and confident demeanor have turned this character into an icon. Doan Tan Nguyet is not simply an innocent girl. She is the young lady of Tan Nguyet Hotel, carrying the bravery, sharpness and life experience of a "veteran" hidden behind her lovely appearance.
Returning to "Cuu Mon" 2026, the production crew tries to find a similar formula when choosing Vuong Dich Dinh - an actress with a pretty round face. However, the mismatch immediately appears. At the age of 25, Vuong Dich Dinh's life experience and cinematic life experience are too thin to portray the psychological depth of a character who has gone through many storms, along with Truong Khai Son (played by Tran Vi Dinh) going through life and death. She brings a naive, playful Doan Tan Nguyet in the style of a young woman - something completely contrary to the plot setting.
The failure of this role also lies in the subtle staging of the film crew. Despite changing actors, the crew still deliberately kept the old voice acting that was associated with Trieu Le Dinh.
The result is a clear awkwardness when the voice shows steadfastness and maturity, but the actor's face is too inexperienced, creating a feeling of "Truong Ba's soul, butcher's skin".
Besides, the age gap between the actors also inadvertently destroys the chemistry, which is the strength of this couple. Tran Vi Dinh turns 40, carrying the rugged features of an experienced man, while Vuong Dich Dinh is too young. The romantic scenes between the two characters, instead of bringing a sweet feeling of husband and wife, create awkwardness, making the audience extremely disappointed.
In fact, Vuong Dich Dinh is not an incompetent actress. She once made a strong impression thanks to her classical dance background and natural acting ability in previous projects such as "An Lac Truyen" or "That Can Tam Gian". However, accepting a role that was too far-fetched, not suitable for her age and personal experience, unintentionally burned down the goodwill she had accumulated from the public. Looking back at Trieu Le Dinh, when transforming into Tinh Nhi in "Tan Hoan Chau Cach Cach", she did not imitate Vuong Yen's prototype but added her own resilience and simplicity to create a personal mark.
The story of "Cuu Mon" is a warning to filmmakers and young actors that any role needs natural compatibility between real people and characters.
