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The good and the bad
"Testosterone Not Necessary" at the VC FilmFest 2000
05.19 - Posted by Editor
"Testosterone Not Necessary" at the VC FilmFest 2000
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By Johnny Ping and Jennifer Phang
5.19.00 -- AsianAmericanFilm correspondents Johnny Ping and Jennifer Phang tag-team in reviewing the "Testosterone Not Necessary," VC FilmFest 2000's collection of five smart and enjoyable shorts by Asian American female filmmakers.
"The Velvet Club"
PING The program hit the ground running with Hana Ogawa's
"The Velvet Club." The cabaret drama about a vulnerable starlet's crush on
a two-timing patron stood out for its seductive cinematography and lush
visual design. Dance numbers were beautifully cut with great rhythm. Story
was mostly compelling, though it may have left a few guests questioning the
lack of Asian American presence.
PHANG Ogawa does a nice job setting the atmosphere of the
cabaret, incorporating a seductive dance number into an otherwise fairly
serious story about Betty's steps towards self-realization. I particularly appreciated the somewhat surprising conclusion, in which Betty makes a less obvious choice than one would expect.
In the Q&A, Ogawa mentioned that her ideas for "The Velvet Club" were drawnfrom her extensive exposure while growing up to New York musical theater.
"Full Moon"
PHANG
Marie Chou's "Full Moon" is an intriguing look at a day in the life of a
Chinese housewife in an uninspired marriage, who suddenly loses interest in
cooking and cleaning for her husband, and instead throws down her sponge to
spend a day taking care of herself.
Chou intentionally employs extremely
long takes of our heroine's cleaning and cooking routines, and I ate up every
lingering moment. Chou forces us to share the full extent of
the household routines, in their timelessness and meaninglessness. While I
found the film's conclusion a bit unclear and befuddling, Chou commented that
she is comfortable leaving stories with a little ambiguity, reflecting the
way lives move forward imperfectly, without definite conclusions or
departures. The performances by the husband and wife characters, who happen
to be Chou's own parents, are splendidly naturalistic.
PING
Director captures the sparse but revealing
dialogue with a realness rarely achieved in rookie films. At the end of the
day, you canÕt help but identify with and care for this woman. While MarieÕs
uncompromising style may not be for everyone, many will find her approach
intimate and effective.
"The Shangri-La Cafe"
PING
Then there was "The Shangri-La Cafe," a gorgeous piece by Lily Mariye that
takes place in 1950s Nevada. Story is about a Japanese American family (who
protect themselves from post-war racism by passing as Chinese) forced to
segregate their self-run Chinese restaurant for "Whites Only." The results
are intense. Mariye explores the relationships and changes with exceptional
compassion and nuance. Layers of emotions and meanings are in every shot.
Thoughtful and articulate.
PHANG "The Shangri-La Cafe" is a nicely shot tale of a woman's defiance in the face of racism against both black and Japanese people of the
time. While for me the intent of the final interchange between the
restaurant owner and the white antagonist was slightly unclear, and the
musical score was a bit heavy-handed for my taste, the film was well written
and shot, with many strong performances; moreover, the subject matter proved
quite engaging.
"Turbans"
PHANG
"Turbans," directed by Ericka Surat Andersen and based on the memoirs of
Andersen's grandmother, recounts the struggles of a Sikh family in 1918
Astoria, Oregon.
This truly heart-wrenching story of this family's decision
to sacrifice an integral symbol of their identity in order to gain acceptance
by the abusive majority, brought me to tears many times. "Turbans" is
wall-to-wall with lush landscapes and compelling imagery. I especially
enjoyed the fantasy sequence where the children fancy themselves
sword-bearing fighters, easily scaring off their threatening classmates.
With passionate performances all round, "Turbans" did a wonderful job in
dramatizing a painful event in the life of one of the first Sikh families in
Oregon.
In the Q & A, Anderson spoke about her four years of research for
this project, and of her Grandmother's key participation in enabling the
production to accurately portray the Sikh headdresses and clothing.
"Samurai Swing"
PING
Rounding out the program was the hilarious crowd-pleaser "Samurai Swing," a
brilliant comedy about a third-generation, mixed race, Japanese-Canadian who works as a waiter but spends his hours dreaming of being a lounge singer. Fascinating
opening shot where the camera tracks through an imagined nightclub towards
lead actor Tim Tamashiro, lingering on a close up of his face, playing on
his racial ambiguity. Smart writing, well executed story, good timing and
pacing.
In conclusion...
PHANG
An entertaining, innovative, and depthful shorts program all round,
"Testosterone Not Necessary" promises that this generation of filmmakers is
ready to address the unaddressed by means of some of the most unique and
engaging stories.
PING
High marks for all the filmmakers. Serious kick-ass films that managed not
to be pretentious. Ethnic identity and crisis are dealt with in
refreshingly unique ways. Performances were top-notch all around. All of
the filmmakers appeared to be well-acquainted with conventions and device,
but instead of going for gimmick or formula, they all seemed to be genuinely
concerned with original characters and stories. A pleasure to watch.
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