It's 1952 Saigon in French colony Vietnam. Thomas Fowler (Michael Caine) is a world-weary British ex-pat reporter in love with the country. Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser)'s dead body is found. Inspector Vigot interviews Fowler about the "quiet American" working for the Economic Aid Mission. Fowler doesn't want to return to his unhappy marriage and has a young Vietnamese girlfriend named Phuong. In flashback, Fowler befriends new eager Alden Pyle and travel up north to do a story.This is based on the Graham Greene novel. Michael Caine inhabits his role completely. Brendan Fraser is great at being an American political zealot. The only problem is a lack of intensity coming from the Vietnamese actress. The movie has a compelling sense of place and time. It's a great story of murky morality and absolute conviction in the two lead characters.

Michael Caine and Brendon Fraser have careers that seem somewhat similar. Both are very fine actors, but both have acted in their fair share of real bombs. But, among the bombs have also been some very fine films, and this is one of them.Michael Caine is superb here as a journalist covering Viet Nam during the French colonial period prior to Dien Bien Phu; he was nominated for an Academy Award for this performance, and deservedly so. Brendan Fraser is also excellent as an undercover CIA agent. Fraser falls in love with Caine's Vietnamese mistress (the beautiful Do Thi Hai Yen). So we have a love triangle, as well as an international affairs triangle. The relationship between Caine and Fraser is interesting -- friendly but wary. To tell you more would ruin the film -- this is one film where it's best to figure out what is really happening as you go.It's difficult to find much to criticize here. If it looks "real", it's because much of it was filmed in Vietnam.So, savor a fine film with fine performances.

I've decided to say very little about this movie, except that it's one of quiet quality - the story, the screenplay, the acting by all and the location work.Like its title, it does not and indeed doesn't need to shout out about its many fine qualities. The story is universal, 'old school' - in that there is actually one to be told and is portrayed in an intelligent manner by director Philip Noyce. Michael Caine's performance remains one his very best - subtle, vulnerable but still commanding and Brendan Fraser, so often type-casted into comedy and action 'matinee' style blockbusters that we are slightly surprised that he rises to this occasion nicely.For a film to teach us about human behaviour, history during a contentious and difficult time for many (Vietnam, of course) but not feel the need to ram actual war down our throats is refreshing. It might not be considered a classic, but good it is and should be on a to-see list if a quality intelligent drama and one that doesn't require endless to-ing and fro-ing and getting lost in over-elaborate plot-lines. Fans of Michael Caine should actually own it, as those who follow the excellent Grahame Greene and his cinematic adaptations.

I was in Saigon ten years ago when they had just finished filming this movie and some friends of mine, who permanently lived there at the time, had a small role in it. It was 2001, but the movie didn't came out that year 'cause, after 9/11, the production decided to delay the release of the film. Someone thought that it was anti-American since it could be seen as a criticism of American policy. I still don't understand why since the Iraq war wasn't begun yet and Graham Greene's original novel was written long before America decided to intervene in the Vietnam conflict. Greene's and movie's criticisms on American foreign policy are very general, besides the plot is more of a love story. It's settled in 1952 in Vietnam: Caine is an English journalist who looks for new stories to ensure he can continue his job in Saigon and his living there with a young mistress. He has no intention to come back to London and to his wife. It's the time of the French-communist fighting in the north of the country. A young American doctor arrives as a part of a medical team and falls in love with the journalist's mistress. The two men discuss about what would be better for the girl, but in love, as in war, everything is permitted and someone will meet a tragic end. Phillip Noyce does a good job and his adaptation is faithful to Greene's story. There isn't much action and the movie runs slowly, but never boring. The film's strength is the cast: Brendan Fraser and Do Thi Hai Yen are pretty good, but Michael Caine is simply terrific, he is perfect in his part, it seems his role was written especially for him. It's worth seeing the movie just for his performance. Caine is one of my favorite actors and since I was there at the time, my regret was I couldn't go on the set to meet him. After this movie The Quiet American became one of the most sold books by Saigon's street vendors.