How
many films can you make playing a meta-slacker version of yourself before it
gets sad? Evidently, the answer two. After appearing in two pleasant indie
comedies playing a likably schlubby version of himself, Goh Nakamura and his
co-stars get more serious this time around. The first two largely well-received
films (Surrogate Valentine and Daylight Savings) were directed
and co-written by Dave Boyle, but co-star Lynn Chen assumed those duties as the
driving force helming I Will Make You Mine, which releases tomorrow on
VOD.
After
the birth of his daughter Sachiko, Nakamura gave up on his performing career,
accepting a stable but dreary customer service job instead. Yet, there is still
tension between him and Sachiko’s mother, Erika. He will be joining her in Los
Angeles to offer his dubious support while she arranges her father’s funeral.
However, that will also offer him an opportunity to re-connect with Rachel, his
one-time prom date, who has carried a torch for him ever since (even though she
should be way out of his league).
Fortunately
for the cash-strapped Nakamura, his old musical colleague Yea-ming invites him
to crash at her pad. She also hopes to avail herself of his natural songwriting
talents. Aside from his daughter, life has been disappointing for Nakamura, but
all the women in Chen’s film still seem to be pre-occupied with him, which is
kind of Woody Allen-ish (it’s filmed in black-and-white too).
Still,
there is something refreshingly realistic about characters coming to terms with
the repercussions of their decisions, as well as setbacks that were largely
beyond their control. Nakamura remains a likable screen presence playing a
meta-version of himself. Ayako Fujitani (who was so incredible in Boyle’s Man from Reno) portrays Erika with brutal honesty, yet surprises us in the
third act with grace notes of understanding and compassion. Bay-area
singer-songwriter Yea-Ming Chen is quite a charismatic performer on-screen,
both musically and dramatically, but Joy Osmanski probably gets the biggest laughs
in her brief appearance as Rachel’s hipster video-director friend, Amy.
Yet,
young Ayami Riley Tomine regularly upstages everyone as Sachiko. That definitely
includes Lynn Chen herself portraying Rachel, whose subplots are by far the
most melodramatic and least credible. For those of us coming into the trilogy
at the third film, it is hard to understand where all her heartsick angst is
coming from.
Nevertheless,
there is an unusual degree of maturity to I Will Make You Mine. Cineastes
also have to feel for the film, since it was supposed to have a high-profile
premiere at this year’s SXSW, but obviously the festival was canceled because
of the Chinese Communist government’s cover-up of the Wuhan pandemic outbreak, perpetrated
with the WHO’s collusion. After three films together, it is a shame the cast
and crew could not enjoy the closure of walking a big festival red carpet. In
fact, it really is a SXSW kind of indie. Small but nice, I Will Make You Mine
is recommended for fans of indie and mumblecore-style relationship films,
when it releases tomorrow (5/26) on VOD platforms.
