1-26-05 Movie Reviews straight from the Sundance Film Festival

SL,UT ! (we mean... Salt Lake, Utah)

The Motel
Director/screen writer: Michael Kang.
Every boy-to-man can relate to Michael’s The Motel. The story centers on a boy growing up fatherless, while running a motel with his mother. He learns about masculinity and manhood through different guests at the motel. He befriends one of the guests, Sam (played by Better Luck Tomorrow’s Sun Kang) and Sam sees himself in the little boy… The audience reaction was awesome: a single-parent mother raised her hand and thanked the director for telling the story of her life… the two Caucasian mothers sitting next to me sobbed endlessly, repeatedly said: “Now I know what my son had to go through…” It was truly a powerful film. Congratulations Michael. I know you were extremely nervous before Sundance… I hope you can actually sit down and enjoy the fruit of your hard work! [Speak.AsianAmerican gives The Motel “LOVE-IT-A-Must-SEE!”]

Green Chair
Director Park Chul-Soo
Screenwriter Kim Jun Han
With a film as erotically charged and aesthetically adventurous as it is emotionally truthful, director Park Chul-soo brings us the provocative story of amour fou between a 32 year old divorcee and a 19 year old college student (who under Korean law is considered a minor until he turns 20). Park shifts stylistic gears with a humorously theatrical, almost surrealist scene in which an unlikely group (the young man’s mother, the divorcee, and the young man’s obsessive admirer) got together and discussed the couple’s relationship. The movie is highly critical of Korea’s way of life: words are unspoken and drama is always under the table. Summary courtesy of Caroline Libresco.


Saving Face
Director/Screen writer: Alice Wu
Wedding Banquet: Asian American female style. Saving Face is a harsh comedy that deals with female homosexuality in the Asian community. Wil and her Ma come from a traditional Chinese family in Flushing, Queens. On the surface, they seem perfect: Wil is a doctor and Ma is a wonderful mother. However… It is obvious that Wil is a bit too tomboyish. And Ma got her own skeleton in her closet… a widow pregnant… and who is the father? This film conveys a strong message through comedy: familial love is important. Through humiliation, confusion, and jubilation, Saving Face exhibits a potential biographical story with pure honesty.


212
Director/Screenwriter: Anthony Ng
Ever feel so lonely in life? Ever just want to feel the warm touch of another person? Ever want to just find love? New face director Anthony Ng interconnects a quirky tale of three sets of New Yorkers, all looking to connect in the big city. However, they could only connect through machines… for example, the girl working at the copy machine center finds artificial warmth through well… placing her face and hand on the copy machine. Audience might sense Ng’s influence in this film; the lighting and angles are reminders of Wong Kai Wei’s style.

special thanks to: Risa, John, Diane, Winston, Leslie, Pia, Chi-Hui, George, Sam from AsianCineVision, Visual Communications, National Asian American Telecommunications Association, and San Diego Asian Film Foundation for one kick-assing weekend!

Asian Americans 'represent' in SL,UT!