I loved this story of a diverse family in the future whose android nanny/companion malfunctions. It's a bit too languid and dreamy for Jack but I was transported by the beautiful visuals and the clever story. Colin Farrell (white Irish) and Jodie Turner-Smith (Black British) play the parents, now-11 year old Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja (Indonesian-American) is little Mika (she has a beautiful singing voice), and Justin H. Min (Korean-American) is Yang, the companion they purchased to familiarize their adopted daughter with her Chinese heritage. Sarita Choudhury, Clifton Collins Jr., and Haley Lu Richardson make appearances in the opening techno-dance number and join the story later.
This is the second feature for Korean director/writer Kogonada, and I also loved his first one, Columbus, which featured mid-century-modern architecture in Columbus, Indiana. In this one, the family's home is a magnificent mid-century-modern one-story in an unnamed location and the gorgeous cinematography by Benjamin Loeb shows it, and everything, to its best advantage.
Kogonada based his script on the short story Saying Goodbye to Yang by Alexander Weinstein, included in Weinstein's collection Children of the New World, which was one of the New York Times' 100 notable Books of 2016. Here's a spoiler-filled excerpt.
The ethereal soundtrack by Aska Matsumiya, also known as ASKA, is available on Apple Music and probably elsewhere.
The wardrobe by Arjun Bhasin contained no plastics, indicating the future's reliance on sustainable materials.
Farrell was last blogged for Widows, Turner-Smith for Queen & Slim, Choudhury for A Hologram for the King, Collins for Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, Richardson for Support the Girls, and Kogonada for Columbus. Tjandrawidjaja has acting and singing credits. Loeb's resume of shorts and features includes Pieces of a Woman, and Matsumiya has quite a few on hers as well. Bhasin costumed Monsoon Wedding (2001), Life of Pi, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, among dozens of others.
Rotten Tomatoes's critics are slightly less tuned in than I, averaging 88%, and its audiences need a reboot with only 66. We watched it on Showtime on March 21.
No comments:
Post a Comment