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☆ ‘The Sympathizer’ star on how he ‘never felt rooted’ to his Vietnamese heritage until landing lead role
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-28 | by ( Rochelle Beighton | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Set in the 1970s as the Vietnam War draws to a close, Xuande embodies The Captain, an unnamed double agent for the Viet Cong operating within the American-backed South Vietnamese army. ‘It’s my life’Chinh, known for her role in “The Joy Luck Club,” portrays a refugee mother to a South Vietnamese Major (Phanxine) who is forced to flee to the US. Drawing parallels with her own life, she was born during the Vietnam War and was forced to evacuate at the age of 15. A unique casting challengeCasting the role of The Captain was a critical and challenging task for casting director Jennifer Venditti and her team. Xuande’s response to an international casting call immediately caught their attention with an impressive audition tape.

Persons: Viet Thanh Nguyen, “, Park Chan, ” Xuande, Xuande, ”, Robert Downey Jr, “ Oppenheimer, Sandra Oh, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen, Alan Trong, ‘, Chinh, Joy, Sofia Mori –, –, It’s, ” Oh, Jennifer Venditti, Don McKellar, Xuande familiarized, Chan, we’d Organizations: CNN, HBO, Warner Bros ., Viet, Opportunity, Hollywood, Joy Luck, South Locations: Vietnam, United States, Saigon, Sydney, Australia, South Vietnamese, Los Angeles, South Korea, Hollywood, Viet

☆ ‘The Sympathizer’ review: Robert Downey Jr. heads down the rabbit hole of the Vietnam War
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Brian Lowry | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The fortuitous timing of having a series produced by and featuring newly minted Oscar-winner Robert Downey Jr. tumbles down a very strange rabbit hole in “The Sympathizer,” a darkly satirical look at the Vietnam War and its aftermath. Each episode begins with dated-looking credits that evoke the 1970s, a promising Quentin Tarantino-ish conceit that, given what follows, sets expectations too high. As constructed, it’s a rather heavy-handed approximation of the fate Vietnam experienced in the pull of the war, which doesn’t make the Captain’s increasingly surreal arc any more compelling. Strangelove,” assuming that was the intent, than a means of maximizing the star’s presence without really heightening its impact. “The Sympathizer” is hardly the first project to funnel the contradictions of the Vietnam War through an exaggerated lens (“Apocalypse Now” being a prime example), but except for a few bracing sequences the execution only clouds that vision.

Persons: Robert Downey Jr, Downey, can’t, Park Chan, ”, Don McKellar, Quentin Tarantino, Duy Nguyen, Fred Nguyen Khan, Peter Sellers, “ Dr, Strangelove, Sandra Oh, David Duchovny, “ Organizations: CNN, Viet Thanh, CIA, HBO, coy, Credit Downey, Warner Bros . Locations: Vietnam, Viet, Saigon, what’s, “

We've put together everything you need to know about the show, including a trailer, details on when it airs, and how to watch The Sympathizer without cable. ET / 12 a.m. PT on HBOHow to watch The Sympathizer in the USThe Sympathizer airs Sunday at 9 p.m. Max with ads (Monthly Plan) Formerly HBO Max, now just Max, this streaming service is the US home of premium content from HBO and Warner Bros. Shop at MaxHow to watch The Sympathizer in the UKThe Sympathizer will eventually air through Sky in the UK, but the series won't be available until next month. This is where you'll be able to find lots of HBO content since HBO Max/Max is not available in the UK.

Persons: Robert Downey Jr, We've, Viet Thanh, Sandra Oh, Susan Downey, Park Chan, Don McKellar, we've, Max, HBO Max, it's, you'll Organizations: Business, HBO, Hoa, Warner Bros, Sky, Sky Atlantic, Max Locations: Viet, Vietnam, Vietnamese, Los Angeles, ExpressVPN

☆ Robert Downey Jr.'s 'showboating' performances in 'The Sympathizer' are polarizing critics. Here's what reviews are saying about HBO's new series.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Palmer Haasch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The series follows an agent referred to only as the Captain (Hoa Xuande), who's half-Vietnamese and half-French. Aligned with North Vietnam, he's embedded within the South Vietnam army. Critics have generally praised the series, particularly Xuande's performance and Park's direction (in addition to showrunning duties, he directs the first three episodes). Here's a breakdown of where some reviewers stand ahead of the series premiere on HBO Sunday evening. AdvertisementVariety's Alison Herman says that splitting Downey into parts both "deploys and diffuses" the impact of his celebrity on the series.

Persons: Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer, Hoa, Critics, —, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Chan, Don McKellar, he's, Robert Downey Jr, Xuande, Hopper Stone, Alan Sepinwall, IndieWire's Ben Travers, Tran Bui, Beth Dubber, weren't, Robert Downey's, Laura Sirikul, Sirikul, Variety's Alison Herman, Herman, Christopher Nolan's, Oppenheimer, Nick Schager, Downey, Sandra Oh, Park Chan, Nguyen's, Judy Berman, Rory Doherty, lauds, Doherty, Inverse's, Fred Nguyen Khan, Duy Nguyen, Sepinwall, IndieWire's Travers, Richard Lawson, Schager, Thanh, Fair's Lawson, Marina Fang Organizations: HBO, Viet Thanh, Service, Downey, Stone, Daily Locations: Viet, North Vietnam, Vietnam, United States, Korean

☆ RA chairman says no shortage of replacements for ex-Wallabies coach Jones
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FILE PHOTO:New Australia rugby union coach Eddie Jones poses with Rugby Australia Chairman Hamish McLennan and CEO Andy Marinos after his first news conference since his reappointment, which was held at Matraville Sports High School, in Sydney, Australia January 31, 2023. McLennan said an Australian coach's knowledge of grass-roots rugby in the country would be of value but added that Rugby Australia (RA) wanted the best person for the job. I can tell you, there’s no shortage of high-quality coaches that want to come and coach the Wallabies." Former ACT Brumbies coach Dan McKellar, now coaching in England, is seen as among the strongest candidates to replace Jones, along with current Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham. McLennan was instrumental in appointing Jones, who replaced Dave Rennie after the New Zealander was sacked as Wallabies coach in January.

Persons: Eddie Jones, Hamish McLennan, Andy Marinos, Nick Mulvenney, McLennan, Zealander Robbie Deans, Dan McKellar, Jones, Stephen Larkham, Dave Rennie, we’ve, Ian Ransom, Gerry Doyle Organizations: New Australia rugby, Rugby Australia, Matraville Sports High School, REUTERS, Rights MELBOURNE, Wallabies, Sydney Morning Herald, Zealander, Australia, Panasonic Wild Knights, Former ACT Brumbies, Brumbies, New Zealander, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Australian, Brisbane, England, Melbourne

☆ Defense is a 'huge part' of the U.S.-Australia relationship, Australian industry body says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailDefense is a 'huge part' of the U.S.-Australia relationship, Australian industry body saysAndrew McKellar of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry says the United States is Australia's top strategic partner.

Persons: Andrew McKellar Organizations: Email Defense, U.S ., Australian Chamber of Commerce, Industry Locations: U.S, Australia, United States

☆ Sydney Opera House: Australia’s most famous attraction turns 50
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Saying that the Sydney Opera House is a well-known icon of Australia is kind of like saying the Amazon is a creek. Inaugurated on October 20, 1973, by the late Queen Elizabeth II, the Opera House now welcomes more than one million visitors every year. A rich historyThere’s much more to the Opera House than, well, opera. “I think there’s a big misconception that we’re the classical arts,” says Jade McKellar, chief customer officer for the Sydney Opera House. “The Sydney Opera House constitutes a masterpiece of 20th Century architecture,” UNESCO wrote in its designation.

Persons: Queen Elizabeth II, Jorn Utzon, “, ”, Jade McKellar, we’ve, there’ll, Golding, McKellar, Megan Cope, Bob Henry, UCG, Piper, Hamelin Organizations: CNN, Sydney Opera, Deloitte, Empire, Opera, Opera House, Sydney Opera House, UNESCO, ” UNESCO, Fairfax Media, House, Nations, Botanic Garden, Getty, Opera Bar Locations: Australia, ”, Spanish, Korean, Sydney

☆ Australia hikes minimum wage as living costs surge
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Stella Qiu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Steven Saphore/File PhotoSYDNEY, June 2 (Reuters) - Australia will raise the minimum wage by 5.75% from July 1 as families grapple with soaring living costs, a decision that businesses and some economists say risks further stoking inflation and interest rates. The independent Fair Work Commission (FWC) on Friday decided on a 5.75% pay rise for workers on awards with wages linked to movement in the minimum wage. It also made a technical reclassification for the national minimum wage, which the union says will take the increase to 8.6% for the lowest-paid employees, about 0.7% of the workforce. "Following several recent developments, including the outcome of today's minimum wage decision, we are adding a 25bp hike to our RBA profile in June and another 25bp in July." "Today's increase means these workers can keep their heads above water and not have to cut back even further."

Persons: Steven Saphore, Lin Ong, Philip Lowe, Taylor Nugent, Adam Hatcher, Hatcher, Andrew McKellar, Sally McManus, Stella Qiu, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: REUTERS, RBC Capital Markets, Reserve Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australian Council of Trade Unions, Thomson Locations: Sydney, Australia, Lincoln

☆ Australia's budget is focused on alleviating cost of living pressures, says industry body
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAustralia's budget is focused on alleviating cost of living pressures, says industry bodyAndrew McKellar of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry discusses Australia's budget and says there's much less emphasis on business, adding that its "lead item" is energy cost relief.

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