Cassandro (2023) - Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Cassandro, a biographical movie about the legendary lucha libre star. It stars Gael Garcia Bernal and Bad Bunny and is directed by Roger Ross Williams. Here is the synopsis:

Saúl Armendáriz, a homosexual amateur wrestler from El Paso, Texas, rises to international stardom when he creates the character Cassandro, the "Liberace of Lucha Libre." He upends not just the macho wrestling world, but also his own life.

Of course, I am very interested in this movie because Cassandro is from my hometown of El Paso, Texas. I have seen Cassandro wrestle on shows here in El Paso, as well. I think it's amazing that an awesome (and well-respected) actor like Gael Garcia Bernal is playing him in this movie. I think it's so cool that Cassandro is having his story told in this way. It seems like lucha libre (and the wrestlers in it) will be treated with respect, and not like a joke like it usually is in Hollywood media. Cassandro comes out in theaters September 15, 2023 and then on Amazon Prime Video on September 22, 2023.

 

The Farewell (2019) - A Review

 

The Farewell is a must-see movie.

 The Farewell is a drama/comedy (dramedy) movie released in the United States in 2019 starring Awkwafina, Zhao Shu-zhen, Tzi Ma, Diana Lin, Lu Hong, Jiang Yongbo, Chen Han, and Aoi Mizuhara. The Farewell was written, directed, and produced by Lulu Wang.

Zhao Shu-zhen as Nai Nai (left) and Awkwafina as Billi. Their relationship is absolutely believable.

In The Farewell, Awkwafina plays Billi Wang, a Chinese-American writer living in New York. She is very close with her grandmother, Nai Nai (played by Zhao Shu-zhen), who lives in China. After being rejected for a prestigious fellowship, Billi finds out from her parents, Haiyan (played by Tzi Ma) and Lu Jian (played by Diana Lin), that her grandmother has terminal lung cancer and she has only three months left to live. Nai Nai does not know that she has lung cancer or that she is dying because the whole family is hiding her diagnosis from her. The family has set up a wedding for Billi's cousin Hao Hao (played by Chen Han) and his girlfriend Aiko (played by Aoi Mizuhara) as an excuse to see Nai Nai one last time. Billi is not invited, though, as the family feels she will expose the truth about Nai Nai's health condition.

Billi goes to China anyway to see her grandmother. The whole family is shocked to see her there, especially Nai Nai. As the wedding nears, the mood is solemn, and Nai Nai suspects something is wrong, judging by Billi and her father's behavior. Billi promises to keep the secret from Nai Nai, but she is conflicted throughout. She questions the morality of keeping the truth from Nai Nai, but she learns that this is a difference between Chinese and American/western culture. Billi and Nai Nai spend a lot of time together and learn a lot about each other. Can Billi keep the secret from her grandmother, and will the wedding go off without a hitch?

The love of a family prevails.

The Farewell is based on director Lulu Wang's grandmother, and what she and her family went through after the terminal cancer diagnosis. The movie is very moving and emotional, and nothing feels fake or melodramatic. Awkwafina (whose comedy I am a fan of) is really understated in her portrayal of Billi. Really, everyone is pretty solemn in this movie, except for Nai Nai. Since she does not know that she is dying, she is the one full of life and not holding back emotionally. Really good performance by Zhao Shu-zhen as Nai Nai. Also great is Lu Hong playing herself as Nai Nai's younger sister. Though the movie is a bit solemn and sad, there is some nice comedy in it as well (nothing over the top, though). The visuals are great, the acting is excellent, and the story is interesting. It makes you ask yourself: What would you do in this situation?

Nai Nai supports Billi in ways Billi's parents may not have.

As you can imagine, I highly recommend watching The Farewell. It is a touching, emotional story that also makes you think. There are questions of morality and a clash of American/western and Chinese culture. It is the story of a family that really loves their grandmother/mother/aunt/sister, and the things they go through to protect her. Awkwafina and Zhao Shu-zhen were perfectly cast in their roles. I cannot wait to see what other stories Lulu Wang has to tell.

Reviewed by David Williams

Minari (2020) - A Review

 

An American classic.

 

Minari is an American drama movie released in the United States in 2020. It stars Steven Yeun, Han Ye-ri,  Alan Kim, Noel Kate Cho, Youn Yuh-jung, and Will Patton. Minari was written and directed by Lee Isaac Chung.

Han Ye-ri as Monica Yi (left) and Steven Yeun as Jacob Yi (right).

In Minari, Steven Yeun plays Jacob Yi, the patriarch of the Yi family. The Yi's are an immigrant family from Korea who have just moved from California to Arkansas in the United States in the early 1980s. It is Jacob's dream to run a farm and make a living from it. His wife, Monica (played by  Han Ye-ri) is not so into his dream, but she supports him. They have two kids, Anne (played by Noel Kate Cho), the oldest, and David (played by Alan Kim), who has a heart condition (heart murmur). Monica worries about David a lot, and the others stop him from over-exerting himself. David just wants to be a kid.

Monica struggles in Arkansas, not only at work, but also with loneliness. They go to church to make new friends, with some people being more welcoming than others. Jacob gets help starting his farm from a rather strange and religious man named Paul (played by Will Patton), who is very enthusiastic about helping Jacob any way he can.

After a huge argument with each other, Jacob and Monica decide to bring Monica's mother to their trailer home in Arkansas. Soon-ja (played by Youn Yuh-jung) arrives, and David is not a fan. He says she doesn't look or act like a grandma, so he avoids her or plays pranks on her. After Soon-ja's arrival, things take a turn for the worse for the family. Can Jacob and Monica's marriage survive the bad times, and how will David's next doctor appointment go?

Alan Kim as David Yi.

Minari is an excellent movie, straight up. This is a semi-autobiographical tale about the director, Lee Isaac Chung's life. This makes the movie feel more real, and in turn, makes you more immersed in the story and in the characters. The movie portrays real life: there are ups and downs. When you finally succeed at attaining a goal, something happens to tear it all down. You just got to to keep persevering. The movie is not somber all the way through, though. There are a lot of light and comedic moments as well. Alan Kim as David brings a lot of the lightness (and does a great job at it).

The movie is spoken in a mix of Korean and English, as immigrants from Korea would probably really talk like. This doesn't bother me, as I grew up in a bilingual household, but it bothers others for some reason. Even though the movie is spoken mainly in Korean, with a majority Korean/Korean American cast, the story is an American one. Jacob and Monica Yi are striving for the American dream, but in different ways. Every actor in this movie gives an incredible performance. Will Patton is particularly memorable as the weird, and at first off-putting, Paul. Steven Yeun as Jacob is determined to get his farm started and keep everything else (including his family) in working order. Han Ye-ri as Monica is not a fan of Arkansas, or their trailer home, or her job; she just wants to go back to California where David will get better health care. Alan Kim as David is just a kid who wants to be a kid, but is held back by his chronic health condition (I can relate). Noel Kate Cho as Anne Yi is the one who deals with the most overt racism, and she realizes the state of her parents' marriage. Youn Yuh-jung as Soon-ja is a very nontraditional grandmother, but she tries (she likes pro wrestling, so she can't be all bad). The director and actors made these people feel like a real family. Great job all around.

Youn Yuh-jung as Soon-ja (left), David's grandma. David is not a fan.

I highly recommend watching Minari! This movie is just so good. The acting is impeccable, the characters are deep and memorable, the story is involving and relatable, the cinematography is exquisite, and the musical score is mesmerizing. It's an emotional story that you'll never forget. Lee Isaac Chung made a modern classic, that's for sure. Minari shows us that to achieve the American dream, you need faith, perseverance, and family.

Reviewed by David Williams

Searching (2018) - A Review

 

Searching is a compelling, modern mystery.

Searching is an American mystery thriller movie released in 2018, and stars John Cho, Debra Messing,  Michelle La, and Joseph Lee. This movie was written (along with Sevak Ohanian) and directed by  Aneesh Chaganty in his directorial debut.

John Cho makes you feel for him in this movie, with just his face visible throughout most of it.

 In Searching, John Cho plays David Kim, the single father of  teenage daughter Margot Kim (played by Michelle La). They seem to have a pretty good relationship, with Margot being focused on school and playing piano while David also hangs out with his brother Peter Kim (played by Joseph Lee). One night, Margot goes to study with her friends; as David sleeps, Margot calls three times, but he doesn't answer. The next morning, David finds the call notifications and tries to call her back. Margot doesn't respond. Worried, he contacts Margot's piano teacher, who tells him some surprising news. After this, David calls the police for help in finding his missing daughter, and Detective Rosemary Vick is in charge of the case. David goes through all of Margot's social media profiles to find info to help Detective Vick with the case. He soon finds out that he doesn't really know his daughter at all...

Michelle La as Margot Kim. Margot is a typical teenager... or so it seems.

 Searching takes place all on a computer screen. Dave Kim goes through real web sites like Google and Facebook to find info about his daughter and her last known location. It is actually very similar to the movie, Unfriended in that way. Where that was an over the top horror movie, Searching is more of a tense thriller. You really feel for Dave Kim throughout this movie, and John Cho does a great job showing the frustration, desperation, and drive in finding his daughter. It's amazing, as most of his performance is focused on his face. Michelle La plays Margot as a normal teenage girl, who is going through some things... Debra Messing as Detective Vick is a tough, no nonsense cop who is dedicated to resolving the case. Since this is a mystery movie, I am keeping this review vague, but trust me there are some twists and turns in this one!

It was very cool to see Debra Messing in this kind of role.

So, should you see Searching? I would say yes. It's really good! It had me interested and involved throughout its runtime. I mean, it's pretty cool seeing a story unfold on a web browser. It has some good red herrings, but everything is hinted at throughout the film (I figured it out by the middle of the movie). I will say, to me, it seemed a little too easy to get into profiles, things are a bit too coincidental, and the ending can be considered a bit far-fetched (but it could still happen as it does in the movie), but this is to be expected in a Hollywood film. This movie will make you think about what you share online and in real life, and it will make you thankful and a bit fearful of the interconnected technological world we live in. Check out Searching, it's quite the ride!

Reviewed by David Williams

Better Luck Tomorrow (2002) - A Review

 

Incredible movie directed by Justin Lin.

Better Luck Tomorrow is an American drama/crime drama released in 2002. It stars Parry Shen, Karin Anna Cheung, Jason Tobin, Sung Kang, Roger Fan, and John Cho. The movie was written (along with Ernesto Foronda and Fabian Marquez) and directed by Justin Lin.

The movie follows Ben Manibag (played by Shen), an intelligent high school student who is working hard on making his high school transcripts look appealing to the Ivy League colleges he wants to apply to for college. He's on the basketball team, the debate team, he translates Spanish at a hospital, he works at a fast food place, and he indulges in petty crime. Being bored and having the perfect cover of being an over achieving student, he takes part in petty theft and vandalism with his friends Virgil (played by Tobin) and Han (played by Kang). 

Another over achieving student, Daric (played by Fan) spotlights Ben in a school newspaper story about being a bench warmer on the basketball team. Ben does not appreciate the attention, as he is fine with his position. Later on, Daric convinces Ben to make a cheat sheet for an upcoming test, paying him for his efforts. This becomes the group's money making scheme, until they start doing more risky crimes. Ben and his group become infamous at their school.

Ben also has a crush on Stephanie, who he begins getting close to. Unfortunately, Stephanie already has a boyfriend, Steve (played by Cho). Steve goes to private school, comes from a rich family, and is on a rival debate team. Ben and Steve have a complicated relationship. All of this comes to a head on New Year's Eve, and it is shocking, to say the least.

This is a great movie. The story it tells is fascinating, and it's never boring. Even though it is a drama, there are little bits of comedy here and there.The cinematography is nice, a bit understated, but there are some amazing shots in there. This movie has a good soundtrack, too. The film score is good, and the soundtrack rules. The song playing in the school dance scene is so good. This movie is truly underrated, I feel.

The characters are fully formed. They are believable. Ben, as the main character, is the 'every guy' you root for. You want him to be a good person, and you still root for him when he makes bad decisions. Virgil is basically the try-hard character who is a bit unhinged. Jason Tobin is a tour de force as Virgil. He kills it in his role. Han is the strong, silent type. He is the most mysterious character. He may do bad things, but he has a conscience. Daric is one of the most manipulative, self-centered jerks in cinema history. He knows just what to say to make characters do what he wants. I hate Daric. A lot. Stephanie has a bit of a complicated backstory, but she is great. Her motivations are believable, and even though she is a straight arrow, even she gets influenced by Ben's rebellious side. Steve is an arrogant, troubled rich kid. He is cool, but he has problems. John Cho plays him perfectly. Arrogant, awkward, and aloof. The performances in this movie are top notch!

If you've never seen Better Luck Tomorrow, see it! NOW! I highly recommend it! I watch this movie every New Year's Eve. It is one of my all-time favorite movies. Though it has a dark ending, it is somehow optimistic as well. You never know how life is going to go, you just have to hope for the best.

DVD I watched for the review.

Back cover of DVD.

The DVD disc that I watched. I really need this movie on Blu-Ray!

Reviewed by David Williams