Stepping into Life" is a prime-time movie directed by Nguyen Danh Dung, with the participation of Quynh Kool, exploiting the story of young people struggling to start a career amidst family pressure and the fluctuations of modern life.
Currently, the film is leading the golden hour rating on VTV3, with the highest level reaching 11.99% (episode 13). However, the film creates many debates surrounding the construction of details, character psychology and some details that are considered unrealistic.
The female lead is weak, crying and scolding me too much
Stepping into Life" tells the difficult livelihood journey of the three sisters Thuong, Trang and Minh after losing their parents, having to fend for themselves to survive in a life of many upheavals. In it, Quynh Kool plays Thuong - the eldest sister who both supports her livelihood and takes care of her two younger siblings.
However, this character caused much controversy when many viewers said that Thuong was built too weakly, often crying instead of showing the strength and resilience of an eldest sister in a difficult situation.
In episode 9, Minh takes friends to a bar, causing parents to flock to school and make a fuss. Faced with the tense situation, Ms. Giang (Le Bong) stands up to handle it, helping Minh temporarily avoid being expelled from school and then takes him home to inform his family of the incident.
Knowing the news, Thuong (Quynh Kool) could not hide her fatigue and frustration when her younger brother continuously caused trouble. In the conversation, Thuong both scolded and cried, and reacted strongly when Minh called Ms. Giang "older sister" and apologized on behalf of the family.
In episode 16, when she saw Trang's younger sister being wrongly beaten by boss Dung's ex-wife, Thuong did not ask about the situation but blamed her severely.
What should I be like to be beaten? I am a student who has not graduated yet, now I go to school, how do I study when the whole school knows? I follow a pedagogical career, teaching students in class. Now there is an unruly younger sibling in class, how do I teach her then, who can I tell her?" Thuong's words for her younger sister made the audience angry.
Crying every episode", "watching and being frustrated" are common responses on social networks.
Faced with mixed opinions, Quynh Kool also said that Thuong is not a naturally strong person, but simply forced to continue living and moving forward when there is no other choice.
Unrealistic film details
In the film, the character Trang (played by Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, Thuong's younger sister) is built with an ambitious personality, willing to use unorthodox ways to advance. However, this role causes controversy when there is a lack of consistency in psychology: sometimes sharp, calculating, but sometimes becomes impulsive and extreme.
Notably, in episode 20, Trang kneeling to ask Lam (Manh Truong) to participate in an interview created many mixed opinions. Many viewers said that this detail was pushed too dramatically, not really suitable for the context of modern life.
Previously, in episode 18 of the movie "Steps into Life", Ms. Dung (Quan's mother) caused a shock when she knelt down to beg Thuong (Quynh Kool) to break up and leave her son.
This extreme action pushes the relationship between Quan and Thuong into a deadlock, creating the biggest barrier from the family. Thuong is deeply hurt by the pleas of her lover's mother. This detail in the film is also considered extreme and dramatized.
Despite achieving high ratings and attracting a large audience, "Step into Life" still caused much controversy. The film was criticized for its inconsistent character building and many unrealistic details.
