REVIEW: AU REVOIR TAIPEI

Arvin Chen's Au Revoir Taipei just opened up the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival (after having been the closing film for the SFIAAFF)[1]. It's part of what I think is a fascinating trend of Asian American directors traveling overseas to Asia to make films. This is a theme I touched on in an essay for the 2008 ACV fest catalog which was also mirrored in my interview with Wayne Wang from the same catalog. Also, my colleagues over at Asia Pacific Arts have a fantastic conversation on the very same topic, pegged to Arvin's film.

I have to admit; this film had gotten such rave reviews from its SFIAAFF appearance that I went in with slightly inflated expectations and I didn't think its execution quite lived up. In terms of what I liked: ambitious script that was, overall, well-executed. As a friend stated it well - there's a lot going on in the film between its romantic elements and the crime caper that's mixed in yet Chen makes it all seem kind of effortlessly integrated. That's not for nothing, especially given how hacked together other film fest flicks can feel. Chen has a particular aesthetic mode that I thought was well-conveyed here, especially as someone who has spent time in Taipei and could appreciate the unique kind of urban spaces and lighting that accompanies Taipei after dark. I liked the two main leads as well but the supporting cast are really where the movie gels best so props for the acting and casting.

My two disappointments: 1) The caper plot was being set-up very early in the film and unfolded in predictable fashion. There was almost no narrative tension because you already knew what was going to happen before it happened. That's not to say there wasn't genuine enjoyment in watching it unfold but that's more about the strengths of the script and acting than the actual storytelling. 2) This isn't unique to this film at all but the two leads are imbalanced. On the one hand, you have a female lead who is completely endearing to the audience and you can easily understand why he-would-be-into-her. The other way? Makes no sense at all. The male lead is awkward, indecisive, not terribly social (at first at least) and basically lacks her liveliness and decisiveness. In what universe would she be interested in a guy like that? (Probably the same universe that says Diane Keaton would ever be into Woody Allen or Catherine Keener in Steve Carrell). I kept thinking, "this makes no sense; she could do a lot better" and that's not a good reaction to have when watching a romantic comedy. I don't think it was a shortcoming in the acting; it was just a poorly conceived character who needed to be given more to do than just mope and mutter. (He can make good noodles so I guess that's a plus).

This all said though, I was really pleasantly surprised by the film and my only hope is that this wave of Asian Am directors creating all this interesting and well-executed films overseas will be able to find a way to translate that success back in the States because frankly, the overall quality of Asian American film (shot in America) continues to suffer through the current doldrums of the indie film industry. The kind of creativity and execution now being seen abroad would be most welcome back home too.


[1] Disclosure: As a reminder, I should note that I was on the LAAPFF screening committee this year.

--O.W.

REVIEW: DIRTY HANDS: THE ART AND CRIMES OF DAVID CHOE

I first saw Dirty Hands about a year ago, when I wrote it up for the 2009 SFIAAFF catalog. It has since gotten a small, platform release, beginning this weekend.

Choe first hit my radar via a friend of mine who also grew up around Choe and his work in the South Bay. I then followed his exploits, now and then, via Giant Robot Magazine and the internet; it's safe to say that Choe has a substantial cult following that's only grown through the years. Dirty Hands does, in my opinion, a strong job of tracing that growth and evolution of that career, including its attendant difficulties and challenges. All this is made possible by filmmaker Harry Kim who purportedly assembled the footage for this documentary from eight years of following Kim around, documenting both his professional and personal life.

That perspective is both the doc's strength and weakness. In reference to the latter, the film lacks what a critical distance; it can feel too hagiographic in some moments, downright intrusive in others. Yet, it's that intimacy which also makes the film fascinating. There is, for example, way too much time devoted to Choe's personal life. It's never explained why the viewer should really care about Choe's relationship problems and these parts of the doc drag early and often. At the same time, these scenes also puncture the veil of "the artist" and allow us to see Choe in moments which can be uncomfortable, even offensive, yet rarely fail to fascinate when taken as a whole. This is an imperfect documentary of an imperfect man and in that sense, they seem perfectly fit for one another.

--O.W.

RIP LONI DING

R.I.P. Loni Ding

Damn, first Gina Hotta, now Loni?

I can't even try to guess how many documentarians Loni trained at Berkeley during her many years there; it's safe to say however that she's been one of the giants in the field, a pioneer in every sense of the word.

I first met Loni in the '90s and what first struck me was how brusque her attitude was. She was a real "I don't give a shit/I suffer no fools" force of nature with her work and politics and could care less about being diplomatic or playing someone else's game. In that sense, Loni really carried over from the era of the Asian American Movement without ever feeling like she had to compromise in order to adjust with the changing political times. She was hardly lost in the past but rather, she had her lane and ran it like few other filmmakers I can think of. But her, Bob Nakamura, Renee Tajima, Christine Choy, and Curtis Choy (among others) literally helped forge a nascent Asian American identity and community through their work.

She will be sorely missed but I trust that her legacy is eternal.

More on her work here.

--O.W.

THE PITFALLS OF ASIAN AMERICAN INDIE FILM (REMIXED)

Since late last fall, Joel Quizon, myself and a couple of others have been serving on the feature film screening committee for the upcoming Los Angeles Asian American Film Festival. Both of us our veterans of these screening teams - this is my first year working with Visual Communications but I put in my time with NAATA/CAAM up north while Joel's been a stalwart for VC a few years going too.

I can only assume Joel drew upon this experience when he laid out his "How To Avoid the Pitfalls of Asian American Indie Movies" guide recently. These were so good I wanted to expand on a few of them based on my own experience (read: gripes).

JQ: 1. Try to avoid the following words in your title: Jade, Yellow, Dragon, Red, “Scent” of anything or anywhere “Home”, Jasmine, Rice, Masala, (or really anything related to Asian cuisine like Dim Sum, Sushi or Adobo)

OW: It is incredible how many films get submitted with pseudo-Orientalist variations on the phenom he outlines above. Besides being self-exotifying, it's a very clear message to people that, "this film should not be taken seriously." Of course, if your name is Mira Nair, you can probably get away with this sort of thing but otherwise, if your movie title sounds like something found on a Chinese take-out menu, you need to brainstorm a little harder.

JQ: 2. When depicting family life, try your best to refrain from depicting parents as domineering, traditional, heavy accented, always in the kitchen, playing mahjong, gardening, doing Tai Chi, or gossiping.

OW: I understand that family melodramas - especially those involving the generation gap - are a fundamental part of Asian America's cinematic ouvre. And sure, there are some very good executions on this theme in both narrative and documentary forms. However, too frequently, the older generation is reduced into a cheap caricature in order to introduce an antagonist, and thus, some level of dramatic tension into a narrative.

A good story needs tension. It needs antagonists (whether people or situations). But you can't be lazy about it. The only villains who can be easily fashioned out of boilerplate are Nazis and these days, even Nazis have nuance. Otherwise, if you're going to create conflict, at least try to create an actual, human-like foil rather using Asian parents as shorthand for "soul crushing authority figure."

Here's the thing: everyone has issues with the parents and this lulls filmmakers into assuming that they can get away with said shorthand. But most people also tend to love/like their parents, despite those issues. We understand that our parents and their generation are complicated and went through all kinds of sh-- that we'll never have to. That doesn't make them saints. But it does mean that they deserve better. It's bad enough when mainstream Hollywood subjects Asians to flat stereotypical depictions yet I am astounded how many Asian American filmmakers turn around and do the same thing to their parents' generation because they lack the imagination or skills to render better characters.

JQ: 3. When casting a boyfriend for the female character, think twice about casting a white guy (no offence at all really and you may very well want to reflect how society has finally embraced interracial couples). At the very least, consider occasionally depicting Asian men as the virile, non-emasculated beings that they are. Your dad will thank you.

OW: I don't want to get deeper into this can o' worms except to say that, too often, interracial relationships are the second most common attempt at introducing narrative tension/conflict (behind a--hole parents) and this cliché is just as transparent too. Step your writing game up.

JQ: 4. When choosing an occupation or course study for the main character, try vocations other than: writer, filmmaker, actor, or martial arts instructor.

OW: Another indication of a severe lack of imagination. Again, step your writing game up.

JQ: 5. For the main character, opt for injecting well written dialogue instead of distant, silent posturing. Communicative characters communicate a lot to the audience.

OW: Joel nails this one. My feeling is that filmmakers assume that sullen-ness will be equated with depth...as if keeping your characters silent is meant to actually communicate the ocean of conflict and turmoil flowing beneath the surface.

Or maybe you can't write dialogue.

Either way, there is nothing less interesting to watch than a character who just sits on the screen, looking pissed off and explaining not a single idea, thought or feeling. There's no momentum to be squeezed out of a scene like that, let alone something visually compelling.

JQ: 6. For the film score, please avoid using a koto, a gong, a mouth harp and your friend who can play guitar but can only play nondescript noodling.

OW: I can't even try to be polite here.

F--- droning, "moody" guitar scores. Nothing screams "cliché indie" faster than hearing yet another score based entirely around some depressed emo guitarist pluck out 80 minutes of rhythm-deprived, melody-challenged "music." There's a ton of free, creative commons musical scores out there: sharpen your google skills.

I had nothing to add to these:

JQ: 7. I know you have an Aunt who has a nice big pad down in Diamond Bar or Oceanside, but when choosing a location, try a little variety. Also avoid your friend’s restaurant and when shooting a scene that calls for some serious introspection try NOT using a rooftop (This goes for romantic dinner scenes too. As we all know it is far too cold and windy up on roof tops to be having a candle lit dinner and having a mariachi band there gets

8. When making a documentary film, it is not always necessary to have the filmmaker on camera. Unless you are Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock, it can be a hindrance especially when making a film about lepers from Malaysia, unless you yourself is a leper from Malaysia, then that would be fine.

9. If you think making a documentary about going back to the motherland and hanging out with your family and rediscovering your roots sounds like a great idea…it’s not. Not anymore at least. Not unless you have an entirely different spin on it, like you’re Lou Diamond Phillips or a leper originally from Malaysia.

OW: Amen.

JQ: 10. Finally, watch lots of movies. Good movies. See early Wayne Wang and Gregg Araki films. Analyze Better Luck Tomorrow with as much fervor as you would Reservoir Dogs. Watch the first films of Spike Lee, John Singleton, Jim Jarmusch, Gus Van Sant and Allison Anders. Watch John Ford’s Stagecoach and Chang-dong Lee’s Oasis over and over again. Binge on 70’s American cinema and films of Japanese masters. Seek out films from by Lino Brocka, Pen-ek Ratanaruang or Hirokazu Koreeda. Go to film festivals even though your film is not in it. But don’t get overwhelmed by these films because you can make something good too.

OW: Wait, John Singleton? Has he even made one unqualifiably good film? Has anyone watched Boyz N the Hood lately? I bet it won't seem as good as once it may.

In all seriousness, I don't know if the fundamental issue is that not enough filmmakers aren't watching enough movies. I think it's that they've absorbed all the lessons on the technical/visual side of filmmaking but haven't matured sufficiently as writers and storytellers. Every year on these screening committees, I am astounded at how many technically competent films are made that have absolutely no sense of character or narrative development. That's filmmaking 101 (or at least, should be). Sure, a lot of big budget directors can't tell a story worth sh-- either (hello Michael Bay!) but at least they have a few hundred million dollars worth of FX to distract you from that shortcoming. Your $10,000 indie film only has your script and hopefully some decent acting going for it.

(As others have noted, most of this isn't unique to Asian American filmmaking; it's a problem with indie filmmaking at large. But that doesn't mean "our" community can't make use of these ideas).

--O.W.

MY BAY AREA PEOPLES

--O.W.

AUSTIN'S AAFF COMING UP SOON!

More info here.

--O.W.

HARIMAYA BRIDGE INTERVIEW

Watermelon Sushi World: Aaron Woolfolk And Danny Glover's Big Adventure In Japan

--O.W.

SAN DIEGO'S FILM FESTIVAL KICKS OFF THIS WEEK

Wow, it's been 10 years already? I remember going to the first one!

--O.W.

INTERVIEW WITH SFIAAFF'S CHI-HUI YANG

Interviews: DIASPORA BY THE BAY: SFIAAF--Interview With Festival Director Chi-hui Yang

A cool interview by Twitch w/ Chi-Hui Yang, longtime festival director of the SFIAAFF. It's hard to believe (for me), but Chi-Hui's been doing this for...what? 10 years now? He's always been a great friend and very thoughtful programmer, with a much more generous spirit and ability to see the "big picture" than my judgmental, grouchy self (translation: there's a lot of films I hated that he's liked, ha!)

--O.W.

12 YEARS LATER...

(We should all age so well as these six)

--O.W.