Boundless, Liberating, and Thought-Provoking

Review by Lili Tan

 They worked. They studied. But they still weren’t who they wanted to be. Why not? They were still not accepted, still not popular, still didn’t have “it.” So what did they decide? They scammed. They fought. They got violent. Why? It just happened. They got out of hand. They screwed up. How did they get to this point? That’s what we need to find out.

What now?

None of us know.

Four kids, four futures, four lives—what happened? That is the central question of the intensely in-your-face, terrifyingly thought-provoking, perfectly provocative new film “Better Luck Tomorrow.” This is not a film to be missed. Try to escape it—you will not be able to. Just go see it—let this film resonate within you. This unbelievable, breakthrough film will be on the tip of everyone’s tongues. Though slightly speechless after the ending, audiences will undoubtedly react, reflect, and discuss. “This is a film that’s going to get people riled up, hopefully get people to talk,” said director Justin Lin. “Better Luck Tomorrow,” without a doubt, confronts that many issues, brings out that much emotion, and has that much impact.

This film delves deeply into the lives of four overachieving Asian-American high school students and the drama that unfolds in them. These four seem like they have it made—good grades and good prospects for college. But in their search for identity and toils of teenage angst, they take every wrong turn. And this leads to a spiraling downfall into drugs and violence that can never be reversed.

The four leads all do an excellent job encompassing the feelings, mannerisms, and reactions of their characters. Ben Manibag, the main character played by Parry Shen, gives us an inside look into the exhilarating events and other characters during their demise. He is your typical ‘nice guy’ that everyone loves because he is so pleasant and polite, but at the same time, everyone feels sorry for him because he’s not considered cool—just smart. Moreover, bad-boy Han, played by Sung Kang, seemed rather silent, but that only added to the many mysteries and inescapable sexiness of his character. Daric Loo, played by Roger Fan, is a combination of a charismatic cheesy grin and uncaring opportunist. When it gets to the end of the film, you know he’s just in it for himself. The last of the four core characters is Virgil, played by Jason Tobin. Virgil, though he rivals Ben’s school smarts, is an oversized pant-wearing, hyperactive, monkey-like spaz. He definitely provides most of the head-shaking comic relief throughout the film.

Other notable leads include John Cho, playing Steve Choe, and Karin Anna Cheung, playing Stephanie Vandergosh. Steve is the resented, rich, private school kid who is dealing with the same angst as the other four leads. He goes as far as to hire the other guys to scam his parents in order to give them a wake-up call. Unfortunately, he’s the one who receives the wake-up call when the tables turn on him. Cheung’s character is the object of Ben’s affection, but the girlfriend of Choe’s. Stephanie is the cute, cheerleader type but does not encompass the typical cheery characteristics as one might expect. In fact, she seems quiet and constantly dissatisfied with life and her boyfriend. As the only female character, Cheung provides another side of teenage angst to complement the others.

Aside from the actors, the most notable performance was by the director, Justin Lin. Through a series of accelerated then slowed shots, Lin was able to make audiences feel the anxiety a teenager experiences. It’s one thing to show the immense inner conflicts teens go through by using dialogue and narrative, but it’s quite another to be able to invoke their emotional rollercoasters through direction. Not only did his direction make the film, but inspire his actors as well. “Justin Lin was great,” Sung Kang said in a recent interview. “It was the first time for me that I felt legitimized as an actor.”

“Better Luck Tomorrow” is a breakthrough film for the Asian American arts community. It proves that Asian Americans are capable of playing a range of roles outside the typical kung fu and immigrant roles. “It was liberating because you’re not there for an Asian reason,” Kang continued. “You’re there because you can offer something to the role.” Furthermore, the actors were more than thrilled to be part of such a project. “How awesome was it to finally have an opportunity to do something real, significant, and that makes a difference, and you’re actually part of the vehicle that moves things forward,” Roger Fan said. This film is not only significant for the Asian community, but it is a film that non-Asians can even identify with. “When we show it to non-Asian-American audiences, they seem to relate to the characters even though they understand them from a different perspective,” Fan said.

With so much heart and hard work, “Better Luck Tomorrow” is a film that can’t go wrong. “This film is like the epitome of teamwork and what can happen with a group of people who have a lot of heart and passion for a particular project,” Karin Anna Cheung said. “And, this is the result of all of the blood, sweat, tears, and heart and everything lumped in together.”


They worked. They studied. But they still weren’t who they wanted to be.

This is not a film to be missed.