Content
I really liked what the film had to say about how we (knowingly
or not) stereotype other people, especially those that
are not Caucasian. In Josiah's case, everyone around him
thinks that all Asians talk funny and are martial arts
wizards. They don't seem to understand that not only does
he want to do other roles than just the "Chinese
food delivery boy" or "kung fu fighter,"
but he's also a good actor. Josiah's challenge is to make
others understand that.
The writing for this film was tight and well-developed.
Dialogue flowed well and was believable. Josiah's acting
was very good as he portrayed the frustrated acceptance
of someone who is forced to accept a social stereotype
to earn a living. Acting for a lot of the secondary characters
though, seemed a bit caricature-ish and over the top.
The things that made Josiah's acting effective were the
small facial expressions and his overall body language
that conveyed his feelings; however, several of the other
characters (e.g. the drama instructor, the other male
actor at the beginning of the film, the desk girl at the
open auditions) over-exaggerated their gestures and facial
expressions, making them seem even larger on film. Subtler
actions and expressions are better, especially because
the camera picks up more than we think it does. As it
is, it almost feels as though they decided to bring up
stereotypes in the asian community by stereotyping everyone
else, from seedy agents to silicon-enhanced Hollywood
secretaries to over-the-top, foppish directors.
The
major issue I had, however, was that the ending was too
weak and unresolved. Josiah's purpose throughout the film
was to make someone understand that he was really a good
actor, not just "some Asian actor." But when
he finally gets a director to see that, the project is
called off, and that's the end of it. You get the sense
that the director is going to just forget about Josiah
and he'll be right back where he was at the beginning
of the film. Instead, it would've been helpful to show
the audience that Josiah did achieve something, however
small, for his efforts. For example, maybe the producer
could say something like, "Well, this project fell
through, but a buddy of mine is having auditions for a
military movie and they need a radio operator. It's not
much, but there are a few speaking parts. I can give you
his name if you want to try out over there." That
would show that Josiah had made an impression, and even
though nothing was definite, at least there was a chance
that he might start getting "real" acting roles.
Also,
especially with such a professional-looking DVD, it is
important to have some kind of DVD menu. Even if you don't
have that much to put on it, a trailer and basic scene
selection are essential. It helps make you, your production
company, and your project look even more professional.
