better luck tomorrow

A new film that is slowly making its way around festivals and certain US cities (and has gotten me curious to see it) is Better Luck Tomorrow. An Asian cast headlines the show - but its nobody you've heard of. The amazing thing is the support this film has gotten from the Asian communities. Costing around $250k to produce, it has already made $400k, which is nowhere near Hollywood levels but great for a small film. The guerilla marketing the actors, director and producers have undertaken seems to work (basically sending out massive emails to Asians in various cities to support the film) to the extent that 60% of tickets sales are Asian purchases.

But is the film good? The critics seem to think so. I'd like to view it to make a judgement myself.


review: talk to her

Like I just did with Almodovar's Talk To Her.

I struggled with this film, alternately irked by the transparency of certain segments and the outright manipulative elements in others. Ultimately though, it is a technically sound film, and the writing redeems itself somewhere along the line when it ceases to be self-conscious and stops trying too hard.

I cannot help but unfairly compare it Cuaron's Y Tu Mama Tambien, which was better written and better shot. But still, on its own merits, Talk To Her works.

Its just that it is not a movie I'd kill to watch again, with the buzz surrounding the film more entertaining than the film itself. The screenwriting Oscar should have gone to someone else (apologies, Senor Pedro).

Final Rating

Talk To Her - ******* (of 10)