It
is sort of like a Hawaiian Mulholland Drive. Dr. Lily Zhang’s life will
drastically change after an accident on this titular scenic route. Most distressingly,
she finds all traces of her lover have been mysteriously erased. However, she
will tenaciously cling to her memories in Jonathan Lim’s Pali Road (trailer
here), which
opens this Friday in New York.
The
Chinese-born Zhang cares about her patients and about what her parents think.
Both cause a lot of stress in her life, especially given how strongly the
latter object to her American significant other, grade school teacher Neil
Lang. Of course, they would happily approve of her arrogant colleague, Dr.
Mitch Kayne, whom Zhang was briefly involved with—much to her regret. However,
when a quarrel with Lang leads to a severe-looking car crash, Zhang wakes up to
find herself married to Kayne and the mother of a five-year-old son.
Much to
her alarm, none of Zhang’s friends seem to remember Lang. Kayne’s creepy
psychiatrist colleague diagnoses late-onset amnesia and prescribes some happy
pills. Nevertheless, Zhang remains suspicious, especially when she uncovers
traces of her life with Lang.
Given
the warmth and vulnerability she exhibited in films like Hear Me and Ripples of Desire,
USC alumnus Michelle Chen was a fitting choice to lead this American-Chinese
co-production. She definitely has an appropriately intelligent presence for a
driven doctor, even though the narrative often feels rather half-baked. Once
again, Chen instantly claims viewers’ sympathies and credibly turns up the
angst and pathos down the stretch. As Kayne, Sung Kang agilely turns on a dime,
from a slimy jerkheel to an apparently caring husband and father. Frankly, he
is a major reason why the film is able to keep the audience somewhat
off-balance and not completely sure where it is all headed.