AAIFF ’12: Pearls of the Far East

The women of Viet Nam are resilient.  They have had to be.  Yet, wars and ideologies are not among the troubles faced by seven diverse Vietnamese women and the men who are close to them.  The trials and tribulations associated with each stage of life are enough to challenge the characters of Minh Ngoc Nguyen’s stories, collected together in Cuong Ngo’s discrete (non-intersecting) anthology film, Pearls of the Far East (trailer here), which screened at this year’s Asian American International Film Festival in New York.

In “Childhood,” Tho is a little girl with affluent but absentee parents.  She lives with her grandmother near the delta, but most of her time is spent with a servant’s adoring son.  Eventually, this idyllic interlude will end for Tho, which is bittersweet in the film’s dramatic context, but even more so in retrospect, when viewers consider what might be in store for her as the child of wealthy landowners.  Indeed, they are likely to remember young Phuong Quynh, who is a natural on-screen, instantly earning audience sympathies.

East’s second chapter, “The Message,” is one of its strongest and one of two with the most genre appeal.  A colleague of a colleague has died.  Since Thiet Thanh will be passing by his mother’s house on her return trip home, she agrees to break the tragic news to the woman.  However, the well-to-do old woman misunderstands (perhaps deliberately) the nature of her visit, assuming she is her son’s fiancé.  Thus begins a subtle paranormal romance.  Yes, maybe there is a ghost in this story and also a deeply compelling performance by Anh Hong.

According to director Ngo’s post-screening Q&A, “Blood Moon,” the Blue Lagoon-ish story of a man and woman living alone on a desert island was the most challenging to get past Viet Nam’s censors because of the proposed nudity.  That is a shame for viewers, because it stars international action superstar Thanh Van (Veronica) Ngo.  Frankly, this couple is exactly what you will suspect they are, but Ngo’s exquisitely sensitive performance makes it work nonetheless.

It is followed by the standout “The Boat,” another chapter the state censors found problematically steamy.  Also ambiguously fantastical, it captures the fleeting romance between an artistically inclined man and a woman who claims to lead an “ephemeral” life.  Things get somewhat empowering when the author herself takes the screen in “Awakening” as Mi, a sort Vietnamese Coco Chanel.  Engaged many times, the fashion designer never ultimately tied the knot.  Fed up with fate, she finds catharsis in one of East’s odder but visually striking scenes.

“The Gift” is the subsequent tale of a middle-aged wife’s frustration with her husband’s inattention and infidelity, featuring some of the film’s most spectacular scenery, but also some of its most conventional dramatic situations.  However, revered Vietnamese actress Kieu Chinh really lowers the boom in the concluding “Time,” playing a Norma Desmond-style actress betrayed by time’s passage, bravely inviting viewers to read autobiographical significance into her role.

Deliberately taking viewers on a south-to-north tour of the country, East looks absolutely gorgeous.  Mikhail Petrenko’s cinematography is a feast for the eyes, well matched by Alexina Louie’s score, evocatively mixing western and eastern classical elements.  However, some viewers might be put off by the film’s lack of inter-connectedness.  This is not Short Cuts.  Nobody will pop-up later in someone else’s story.  The only commonalities for the various chapters are thematic.  While that does make it something of a narrative hodgepodge, at least it frees Ngo from the pressure of contriving excuses to make characters’ paths cross.  Elegant and sometimes kind of hot, Pearls of the Far East definitely deserves to find an art-house audience following its well received screening at the 2012 AAIFF, which wraps-up this weekend at the Chelsea Cinema.

AAIFF ’12: Invoking Justice

They are called Jamaats.  In predominantly Muslim Southern India, these neighborhood old boys’ networks supposedly apply sharia law.  However, in practice, they regularly provide cover for abusive and even homicidal husbands.  At least, such appears to be the case based on the evidence presented to the upstart women’s Jamaats.  Deepa Dhanraj documents the efforts of the women’s Jamaat leaders to redress gender based injustices in Invoking Justice (trailer here), which screens during this year’s Asian American International Film Festival in New York.

As per Indian custom, Islamic law officially supersedes secular law in the provincial south.  It is a nice set-up if you are a man, particularly if you and your cronies are on the community Jamaat.  If you are a woman though, the system is literally rigged against you.  However, a small but growing number of Muslim women have challenged the institutionalized misogyny by forming alternative women’s Jamaats.  While their legal standing is rather iffy, especially by the local standards, the civilian police force has to deal with them.  This often means the men’s Jamaats must as well, albeit rather grudgingly.

The kinds of cases women’s Jamaat activists investigate are frankly shocking, including several cases of spousal murder and one abused wife and mother desperately trying to divorce her pedophile husband.  The women’s Jamaat founder Sharifa Khanam clearly knows the Koran and uses it to shame their male counterparts.  Yet, on a fundamental level, they still acknowledge the primacy of Islamic law over civilian authority.  Indeed, this begs an obvious question Dhanraj does her level best to ignore: is religious-based law compatible with any meaningful notion of justice?  Indeed, viewers might well wonder if non-Muslims living in Tamil Nadu have any recourse for legal redress, whatsoever.

To be fair, Dhanraj largely adopts the observational approach, only sparingly mixing in traditional on-camera interview sequences.  We see the Jamaat case-workers do the leg work and build the trust of families seeking their assistance.  Tellingly, it is not just women who petition the women’s Jamaats for help, but often the male relatives of women who have been battered and even killed.

Invoking is certainly eye-opening stuff.  However, if ever there was a film that could have benefited from a little confrontational showboating, it would have been this one.  Ultimately, viewers will feel justice is not being served in Tamil Nadu and may well suspect the situation is even worse than it appears in Dhanraj’s documentary.  Still, capturing courage on-screen is always a worthy endeavor.  Earning a moderate recommendation for those concerned about the state of women’s affairs in the Islamic world, Invoking Justice screens this coming Saturday (8/4) at the Chelsea Clearview, as part of the 2012 AAIFF.

AAIFF: I Am a Ghost

Just because you’re a ghost, doesn’t mean you can’t be haunted too.  For Emily, “haunted” is not exactly the right term.  Her situation is rather more complicated and creepy as all get-out in H.P. Mendoza’s I Am a Ghost (slightly too revealing trailer here), which screens during the 2012 Asian American International Film Festival in New York.

Emily’s existence is one of strictly regimented routine.  Unfortunately, this also includes regular instances of self-abuse.  The audience knows this because we see her repeat the same day over and over.  It might sound laborious in an indulgent experimental kind of way, but stick with it.  When deviations from the pattern start to emerge, they are significant and jarring. 

Emily is a ghost, endlessly repeating the tragic memories she imprinted on the spooky old Victorian house, or at least that is what the disembodied voice tells her.  Understandably, that is not something she wants to her.  Yet, Ghost is just getting started.  Emily has some rather wicked revelations in store for her.

With Ghost, Mendoza might actually break new ground in the field of horror films.  It is really nothing like his previous films, Colma and Fruit Fly, since it is not a musical—not even remotely.  Frankly, Mendoza risks trying viewers’ patience, but he pays off their tolerance with some of the most disconcerting scenes of supernatural dread to hit screens in years.  In fact, the scares in Ghost are so unusually deep, because they are more metaphysical in nature.  Mere violence is small potatoes here.  However, it is difficult to explain how novel and challenging the twists and turns truly are, without getting spoilery.

It is safe to say Ghost is a very cool example of how a chillingly effective genre film can be produced with hardly any special effects.  Aside from maybe one sequence, Ghost relies solely on its lead performance and the moody atmosphere of the fateful house, overstuffed with evocative curios, masterfully rendered by art director-prop designer (and producer) Mark Del Lima.

Still, it is Anna Ishida carrying the picture more or less alone as Emily.  It is quite an extraordinary performance, covering the entire dark side of the emotional spectrum, with only an off-screen voice for support. 

Ghost definitely has the stuff of a cult classic that ought to be a breakout film for both Ishida and Mendoza.  It is smart, original, and unsettling.  Highly recommended for fans of ambitious horror films, I Am a Ghost screens this Friday (8/3) at the Chelsea Clearview Cinemas, as part of this year’s AAIFF.

AAIFF ’12: Telegram Man & Jin (shorts)

The trauma of war always ripples outward in concentric circles, deeply affecting entire communities.  During World War II, rural Australia faced devastating losses.  Nobody understood this better than the beleaguered messengers, like Bill Williams, who sets off on yet another sad task in James Khehtie’s short film, The Telegram Man (trailer here), which screens as part of the How To . . . shorts program at the 2012 Asian American International Film Festival.

Williams used to be a popular fellow, so folks in town try to keep up appearances around him.  However, delivering death notices has taken a toll on his social life and his psyche.  Sadly, he has one of his worst calls ahead of him.  Based on the short story “American Farm ‘44” by John Boyne, the author of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Telegram Man easily transfers from the United States to Western Australia, because the underlying issues and emotions are so universal.

Khehtie had Boyne and director Bruce Beresford on-board as advisers, but his real ace in the hole is lead actor, Jack Thompson.  You might not recognize the unremarkable name, but you will know the craggy face from crossover hits from down under, like The Man from Snowy River, The Sum of Us, and Beresford’s Breaker Morant.  Though he is often cast in parts that capitalize on his commanding presence, his performance here is marked by an acute sensitivity.

Though Khehtie is Asian, Telegram Man might not exactly be the sort of film one would expect to find programmed at AAIFF.  Nevertheless, it is a very assured and compassionate work, so good for them for selecting it.  In contrast, the K-town gangster drama Jin (trailer here) might seem like a more traditional choice, but Il Cho’s AFI-supported short is also an emotionally complex and gripping work.

After the death of their immigrant parents, Jin raises his school-aged brother by himself.  It is not easy, because he works nights.  He is low level enforcer for a gang operating in Los Angeles’s Korea-Town.  Essentially enlisted in the mob’s management training program, he has been assigned to an increasingly erratic lieutenant.  Clearly, the current arrangement is not conducive to the stability Jin hopes to provide his little brother.

Featuring strong gangster movie elements and a touching story of sibling dedication, Jin nicely combines the best of both cinematic worlds, albeit in a starkly noir package.  Indeed, optimism might be the one thing Il Cho leaves out of the mix, but the performances are dynamite.  Justin Chon is magnetically riveting as the title character, while Lance Lim’s bright, endearing presence as his young brother serves as an effective counter-point.  With Josiah D. Lee falling apart rather spectacularly, it is quite the small but impressive ensemble.

AAIFF has a history of selecting interesting shorts and both Telegram Man and Jin continue the tradition.  Recommended for general audiences, they screen together as part of the How To . . . shorts block this Saturday (7/28) as the 2012 Asian American International Film Festival continues in Chelsea.

AAIFF ’12: Shanghai Calling

Go-getting corporate attorney Sam Chao is used to doing things his way.  So is China.  China’s bigger.  Temporarily posted to the go-go city on the East China Sea, Chao is in for a steady diet of culture clashes in director-screenwriter Daniel Hsia’s Shanghai Calling (trailer here), the 2012 Asian American International Film Festival’s opening night film, produced by this year’s Asian American Media Award recipient, Janet Yang.

Chao is not thrilled with his new assignment, but it is clear the partnership he covets depends on his performance opening the Shanghai office.  His firm has come to China because that is where their most important client, eccentric industrialist Marcus Groff, has relocated.  Never really in touch with his Chinese heritage, Chao does his level best to offend all his new colleagues as quickly as possible, particularly his assistant Fang Fang and his expat relocation specialist, Amanda Wilson.  Unfortunately, Chao is going to need their help when makes a hash of Groff’s latest deal.

For reasons that remain elusive, Fang Fang has eyes for the boss, whereas Chao finds himself attracted to Wilson.  That would also seem to be an odd choice on his part, but it fits with Chao’s cultural identity.  He is the whitest guy in the room, especially compared to Wilson and expat business community leader Donald Cafferty, the “Mayor of Americatown.”

Hsia’s screenplay is quite astute observing the dynamics of the American business community in Shanghai, contrasting the old school old guard, represented by Cafferty, with the yuppie upstarts.  It definitely feels like Calling reflects an insider’s perspective.  However, the vibe of the romantic subplots are a bit too Gary Marshall (even the poster looks a bit reminiscent of New Year’s Eve).  At least, Hsia keeps the cast of characters manageable.

Daniel Henney (geek-famous as Agent Zero in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) maintains an easy likability, even when he is cruising for his ego bruising.  Likewise, Eliza Coupe is like a cross between vintage Meg Ryan and Bonnie Hunt as Wilson, the harried single mother.  However, some of the brightest lights are found in the supporting cast.  In what could have easily been a shticky caricature, Bill Paxton brings out the wit and humanity of “Mayor” Cafferty.  Not just window dressing, Zhu Zhu (of the Chinese remake of What Women Want) plays Fang Fang with real spirit and sensitivity, while Geng Le has a nice understated nerd charisma as Awesome Wang, a journalist-fixer often hired by the expats.

Clearly, Calling is not interested in muckraking.  When Chao crashes the factory bootlegging Groff’s revolutionary cell-phone, it looks nothing like the Foxconn NPR describes.  Nor does it have anything to say about China’s internet freedoms, or lack thereof.  That might limit its documentary value, but it is rather pleasant as an East-meets-West courtship (of both the personal and professional varieties).  Though becoming more common, such American-Chinese co-productions still must present challenges (indeed, such is the basic premise of the film), so 2012 honoree Yang’s contributions as producer are surely considerable.  Recommended for those who enjoy light cross-cultural rom-coms, Shanghai Calling screens tonight (7/25) as part of the 2012 AAIFF’s opening gala and also on Saturday (7/28), but both showings are sold out, so good luck queuing stand-by.

AAIFF ’12: Mr.Cao Goes to Washington

Anh “Joseph” Cao was elected to Congress in 2008, a generally bad year for Republicans.  He was defeated in his re-election bid two years later—a decidedly good year for Republican candidates.  In a mere two years, the idealistic former Jesuit seminarian received an eye-opening education in all manner of group-think politics.  Cao’s short tenure in office is documented in S. Leo Chiang’s Mr. Cao Goes to Washington (trailer here), which screens during the upcoming Asian American International Film Festival in New York.

Immigrating to America while his father was still a captive of a Communist Vietnamese re-education camp, young Cao led an eventful life before he even considered a political career.  Choosing law school over a life of the cloth, Cao became an activist leader in Versailles, New Orleans’ small but enterprising Vietnamese community (profiled in Chiang’s previous documentary, A Village Called Versailles).  Louisiana’s second congressional district was deliberately drawn to elect an African American Democrat, everything that Cao is not.  However, the ethical issues dogging William “Cold Cash” Jefferson gave Cao a once in a lifetime opportunity to flip the seat—and he was precisely the transcendent candidate to do it.

The question throughout MCGTW is whether or not Cao can hold his seat against a relatively untarnished Democrat (if one can be found in the Crescent City).  Unfortunately, most viewers already know the answer, undercutting the suspense, but also preparing them for the inevitable crushing disappointment.

Chiang and film editor Matthew Martin arduously walk a political tight-rope, trying to frame Cao to be as appetizing as possible to left-of-center film critics.  Much is made of Cao’s relative liberalism within the Republican caucus, including many laments that he might be better suited to the other party.  Yet, Cao remains staunchly pro-life throughout his term of office, so so much for that idea.  Frankly, Cao had no complaints with his Republican colleagues, getting more than his share of their earmarks for his ungrateful district.  Conversely, the figure who emerges in Chiang’s doc as the poster boy for political hypocrisy and opportunism is none other than the current (but perhaps not long term) occupant of the Oval Office.

Initially wooed by Obama, Cao genuinely believed the President’s pretenses of friendship.  Indeed, Cao took a lot of heat voting for the House’s first Obamacare bill.  However, when Obama inevitably cuts a commercial for his Democrat opponent (a less than inspiring figure with a history of disbarments and barroom brawling), it is profoundly disillusioning for Cao.  Indeed, for all the film’s attempts to distinguish Cao from the national GOP, time and again it is the Democrats (both nationally and in New Orleans) who refuse to look past party labels and racial identity.  To their credit, Chiang and his team show this quite clearly.

Nonetheless, MCGTW is so intent on presenting Cao in non-partisan terms, it declines to correct a few inaccuracies.  While Cao was the only Asian American Republican in Congress at the time of his election, he was eventually joined by Charles Djou, the first Thai American congressman, who won a special election in Hawaii (but was subsequently defeated in 2010, like Cao).  Perhaps more problematically, MCGTW lets a local provocateur’s incendiary racial attacks on the GOP stand unchallenged.  Still, it illustrates the sort of rhetoric Cao faced from some extremists.

Perhaps most importantly, MCGTW always treats Cao fairly, recognizing his earnestness and integrity.  He is clearly the real Horatio Alger deal, with the attractive wife and cute kids perfectly suited for campaign brochures.  Watching his re-election campaign unfold will be a frustrating experience for viewers of most political stripes.  If anything, it suggests the greatest problem with the current political system is not money or PACs, but the voters themselves.

That is a real downer of a Pogo-like message, isn’t it?  Still, Cao’s frank, vigorous spirit is quite refreshing.  After viewing MCGTW, one hopes for a sequel with a more satisfying ending.   Clearly, Cao is talented man and Chiang has a keen understanding of the community he represents.  Considering the mildness of its biases, the mostly fair and responsible Mr. Cao Goes to Washington is recommended for political junkies on both sides of the aisle, particularly those who following events in New Orleans from a distance, when it screens this Thursday (7/26) at the Chelsea Clearview as an official selection of the 2012 AAIFF.