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What happens when you see a film about kids in high school struggling
to fit in? If you went to public school where there were a mixture
of different cultures, then you had to have seen the different cliques
gathered around you whether in the school yard or in the gym or
in the lunch cafeteria. There were the jocks, the nerds, the pretty
girls, and the “wannabes”, the ones that wanted to fit in any group.
It’s not easy to do so. Sacrifices have to be made, and personalities
change. For Asian-Americans, the perception of their culture takes
a new turn in Better Luck Tomorrow, Director Justin Lin’s
wonderful bold new film that is well acted by an amazing ensemble.
Ben (Parry Shen) is an Asian American high school teen eager to
get in the best, if not all, Ivy league school. He’s personable,
athletic, and very intelligent. Everyday, he reads the toughest
words out of a dictionary and memorizes its definition. Living in
the cool suburbs of Orange County, California has given Ben many
advantages some kids don’t have. That’s not enough for him as he
craves more success and recognition. Like any kid in high school,
he wants to be known. Along with his best friend Virgil (Tobin),
equally smart yet unstabled, the boys hook up with Daric (Fan),
the coolest Asian American in school and president of the Debate
team. With the addition of Virgil’s cousin, Han (Kang), the four
lads start to cheat their way to the top and make a profit by aiding
others. When the money gets better and better, drugs and alcohol
come into play. Meanwhile, with his newfound fame, Ben reluctantly
tries to approach the girl of his dreams, Stephanie (Cheung), his
study partner. Too bad, she only sees him as a good friend
and calls upon him when her boyfriend Steve (John Cho) isn’t around
to take her out. Steve happens to come from a wealthy family and
from a rival school. As the foursome gets richer through their petty
crimes, Ben’s goals have suddenly changed as his life is spinning
out of control.
Better Luck Tomorrow is a film I found to be dark, intriguing,
suspenseful, and in some ways romantic. The whole cast is appealing
and makes the film colorful. As the lead, Parry Shen carries his
weight as the kid gone wrong with a conscience. Tobin, who, at first
seemed to be overacting but then calmly settled into his role, turned
out to be credible with his performance once we saw what his character
was really like. John Cho, who most folks will remember as one of
the kids in the both American Pie films, is charismatic and resigned
in his role. He plays his “coolness” like James Dean, and that’s
a good compliment! As the only female in the film, Karin Anna Cheung
is very attractive as the girl most guys would want to be with. Finally,
a lot of the credit goes to Director and co-writer Justin Lin. He
has crafted a film where nothing is predictable. The pace of the
film is very kinetic. Just when you think scenes would go a certain
way based on what we have seen in other films, Lin flips the script
and lets the chip falls as they go. The script is smartly written
and provocative. It’s bold, very interesting, and very good. Congrats
goes to the cast for excellent acting.
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