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LA Asian Pacific Film Festival 2009: Capsule reviews

By APA Staff

This year's festival report includes reviews on films such as Yamagata Scream, All About My Dad, Jay, and Daytime Drinking.

Yamagata Scream
dir: Naoto Takenaka

Yamagata Scream is very apt title. From the delightfully cheesy title insert to the campy finale, the characters are constantly screaming, a which essentially defines Japanese manzai-style comedy. The slapstick shenanigans begin when a lovelorn teacher takes a group of four high school girls on a field trip to visit a matchmaking shrine in rural Yamagata (the same Yamagata where Takita Yojiro's acclaimed Departures takes place). The shrine winds up getting destroyed, enabling the spirit of a vengeful feudal lord to return with his entourage and unleash a curse that eventually turns the town's denizens into zombies. Absurdity ensues. Almost every key character is defined by a set of silly and bizarre quirks that color their scenes. One of the school girls is a ditzy, self-absorbed pop idol, while one of the undead samurai has an obsession for roller coasters. There's hardly a dull moment to be found thanks to the film's crazy logic and endless sight gags. In the eye of this slapstick storm, there is a tragic, 800-year old love story. Outside of that, the film rarely takes it self seriously, reveling in its abundantly silly charm. Just like the constant screaming in the film, the eccentric humor can get old (and obnoxious) real fast, depending on your comedic preferences. --William Hong
 

All About Dad
dir: Mark Tran

Set in an almost uncannily familiar yet indistinct suburban town, All About Dad is all about a dad and how he learns to understand his family. Mr. Do, a traditional Catholic Vietnamese, insists: that all the trees in his garden stand perfectly straight; his son, Ty, become successful in a medical related career; his daughter, Linh, marry a Catholic; and his wife support him in all his opinions. All four Do children, as well as their mother, are frustrated with their father's narrow sighted views and struggle with how to express themselves. Although it deals with what could be serious, weighty issues that make for a dramatic film, All About Dad approaches them from the humorous, lighthearted perspective of youngest child, Ty. The hilariously awkward family dinner scenes portray the complex dynamics that are set off by comical misunderstandings and quarrels. All About Dad tactfully builds each character as an individual, while relating how each character fits into the family unit. In the end, Mr. Do learns to let go of his ideals and recognize his children as adults. Coming full circle, the film closes with Linh's wedding, retaining the emphasis on family -- as a new family begins. --Megan Chun

Daytime Drinking
dir: Noh Young-seok

Noh's director statement calls Daytime Drinking "a simple story about a trip, some women, and drinking." This is an accurate (purposefully vague) literal description of the film, but let me take a stab at a metaphorical. Daytime Drinking is the filmic equivalent of watching a little boy in a red helmet and knee pads, running into a wall of an inflatable bounce house, over and over again. No actual injuries incur (other than repeated embarassment to the frail male ego), so the viewer is free to laugh at the poor protagonist who can't seem to catch a lucky break. The journeyman of Daytime Drinking is Hyuk-jin, his endearing pitifulness embodied by actor Song Sam-dong. His girlfriend dumps him. His rowdy friends drunkenly pledge to cheer him up by taking a spontaneous trip to Joengseon the very next day. However, when Hyuk-jin arrives at their suggested destination, he realizes his friends are still at home, hungover; they had completely forgot about their plans, and he's stranded. We follow Hyuk-jin through a lot of nothingness, but entertaining nothingness, as the pacing of the film is hazy like a long, inebriated night with variably shady strangers. He's left on the side of the street without his wallet or pants; he's verbally abused by a frightening woman; he's gently spooned by a man who seems to like young Korean boys. By the end of the trip, he's so paranoid and sleep-deprived that he's ready to attack his best friend. Most integral to the story, he is constantly put in situations where he is forced to drink more and more alcohol (Never refuse the first drink. Tradition calls!). All in all, Daytime Drinking is a truthful depiction of the quiet humor that can be found in human heartache and haplessness. --Ada Tseng

 

Dim Sum Funeral
dir: Anna Chi

Dim Sum Funeral is a family drama about Chinese American adults that have unresolved issues with their recently deceased mother. Reminiscent of the Joy Luck Club, right? If that's the reason you decide to watch this film, you'll be in for a spectacular disappointment. The eldest daughter (Julia Nickson) is in a failing marriage, the family's only son (Russell Wong) frequently cheats on his wife (Kelly Hu), the middle daughter (Francoise Yip) is a compulsive eater, and the youngest daughter (Steph Song) seeks to have a baby with her lesbian lover (Bai Ling). They are all brought together at the behest of their mother's housekeeper (Talia Shire), who convinces them to honor their mother with a traditional, week long Chinese funeral. The film's promising cast (and Bai Ling) is squandered by puerile dialogue, wooden performances, and vapid characterizations. The film squeezes in so many lame and unnecessary gags (Bai Ling gets high and spouts philosophy, ho ho) and references to Chinese culture (Tai chi scene? Check. Random Bruce Lee reference? Oh why?) that it feels like it was written for a non-Asian audience. It also relies on distractingly intrusive music that tries too hard to dictate the film's mood. After watching the festival's other offerings, particularly Treeless Mountain and Departures, Dim Sum Funeral's lack of subtlety and its bloated script is even more apparent. There's a twist towards the end, but by then you'll wish the movie was over. --William Hong
 

Date Posted: 5/22/2009