Rating of
3/4
Not Just an "Asian" Movie -- It's About Choices
Franz Patrick - wrote on 07/18/08
I thought this film would be more about race than anything else because I don't see a lot of mainstream Asian pictures. I was impressed that race is secondary and the choices the characters make is primary. That way, it managed to avoid tripping over cliches that surely would've made audiences' eyes roll. It definitely reminded me of the people I was around with in high school. Although our lives were not as dramatic as this film, they did certain unwise actions just because they had everything going for them. Essentially, they were so bored with their lives, they just wanted to feel alive. What better way to feel that way than to engage in violence and drugs. Even though this movie had a small budget, it's accurate in its portrayal, which made it all the more haunting. For me, the best scenes are when the characters would put themselves in situations that they don't like or agree with, but they do it because it's something that they can put in their college applications. I was never like one of those people but it still rings close to home because I've known people like that. They'd go crazy if they don't get a particular internship or if they slip up just a little bit. This is a sad film in its core and is worth seeing, especially by young adolescents.
