Fantasia Film Festival '20 Film Review - Rom

 Rom (Tran Ahn Khoa) is a 14-year-old street kid that lives practically on a rooftop in a poor tenement section in Ho Chi Min City. At night he draws pictures of his mom on the roof along with writing down number combinations for his illegal job as a runner for the residents of the poor community who pin their hopes on hitting the lottery to solve all of their woes. The profession is dangerous with rivals around every corner trying to get the numbers into the Lottery Dealers first who in turn places the formal bet with the bookies and if the numbers don't win or he doesn't get them in there is no commission  with a good chance of a beating by his clients blamed for every loss. Rom has a main rival Phuc (Nguyen Phan Ahn Tu) who is ruthless and trusted by no one. But if Rom does not appear (often by Phuc's doing) they will bet with him without hesitation. 

               

Writer-Director Tran Than Huy brings the audience into the seedy sections of the Vietnam capital. The streets are crowded, roads as common as small canals, residence small meaning the inhabitants flow into the street. The daily lottery when the numbers are announced 4:30 P.M. sharp encompasses their hopes and dreams. The two rivals at the centre of the piece scale sides of buildings, run along terraces, hop on and off the back of buses in a parakeet like dance to deliver their slips of paper on time. However, there is a real downside to this industry. It is illegal, people get ripped off, the cops are lurking around every corner ready to shut things down. On top of everything in Rom's neighborhood, the greedy landlords of his embattled community are measuring the size of their homes with a plan to run out the residence to develop the area. 

Rom's hopes are to earn enough money to find his parents. He often rests on the street across from the now abandoned apartment buildings where he used to live. His parents had told him to wait in that spot as they would be right back but he has not seen them since. He takes a beating for his job is emotionally bruised and scarred but maintains his optimism and hope in the face of all the adversity thrown his way.

Rom is a story that is the lived experiences of poor people all over the world. Lotteries have long been know as a tax on the poor. A chance to think about escaping your situation but those hopes are dashed when your numbers are not announced but given the alternative, the locals are willing to borrow money to take their shot again the next week. But if that debt gets too high extreme measures could result.  Director Tran Than Huy is using his lens to tell a story that might affect some change. It's a bold effort stocked with physical, dramatic, and engaging performances making it a must to watch.

**** Out of Four.

Rom | Tran Thanh Huy | Vietnam | 2019 | 79 Minutes. 

Tags: Lottery, Runners, Debts, Lottery Dealers, Bookies, Ho Chi Min City, Lucky Numbers. 

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