Stories meander through the first US-produced film to be shot in Vietnam since the war languidly and without any real narrative drive. A young woman helps her employer regain his ability to write poetry; a cyclo driver befriends a prostitute and tries to alleviate the hardship of her life; an American GI returns to Vietnam to find the daughter he fathered there years ago. The languorous pacing and exotic beauty of the settings makes the film visually very lush, which may be enough to justify almost two hours of screen time if you're looking for symbolism rather than action. I just can't help wondering whether this romanticised view of Asia is rather outdated and condescending.
Obviously the critics do not share my fears, with Three Seasons being the star performer at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. It took out the Audience Award, the Cinematography Award, and the Grand Jury Prize. If you appreciate metaphorical meaning rather than plot development, you should enjoy this film.