Better Luck Tomorrow (2002)

That was an excellent one.

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

I was genuinely surprised by the director's savvy: BETTER LUCK TOMORROW is about as impressive as it gets. Not to take anything away from the players (who, to a man, are excellent), but the cinemaskill here is top of the line. At no point in the proceedings did I opt to nod off or to check my watch or hit pause and go stretch my legs: I was too caught up in what was going on on screen. I'm sure it could be argued that the ending was telegraphed (especially when one takes into account the opening scene), but it seemed, somehow, to catch me completely by surprise. My favorite line comes when someone observes that "all of the Asian kids" are at the pivotal party. "The library was closed," one of the leads responds. Superb job all around.

Obviously the comments that you have probably read already are from a person (dilbertsuperman) who has never grown up in a heavily Asian populated community. If you visit these places such as the NoVa area you see that Asian kids really do form gangs and get away with crazy behavior you wouldn't believe since their parents have money and trust their overachieving children. To say that this movie is unbelievable just shows how extremely different the reality of these suburban cities is from our popular notion of what they /should/ be. While exaggerated in the typical Hollywood sense, it is not much beyond the scope of believability...as unbelievable as that may seem after watching this movie.When people say this movie has no plot, they really mean this movie has no linear predictable path with a climactic high point and typical wrap up resolution. It is in fact, absurd and unpredictable, which is why it is so powerful. Sorry, but reality doesn't always have an exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and tidy resolution. Again, sorry if that is what you were expecting or wanted.

From reading reviews and hearing about this movie from friends, I was not expecting to like this movie as much as I did. Hyping this movie as a rare "Asian American" gem obscures the fact that this is simply a well-done film by any measure. I am a bit in shock at seeing how many reviewers here accuse the film of being false and not painting "true" or "believable" characters. While perhaps there could have been more back story for each character, I don't think this was necessary (but then I am speaking from the perspective of someone who grew up in So Cal and therefore feel a little like I "know these guys").Lim's directing is first-rate. Tarantino may have popularized the device of telling a story out of order and letting the viewer put the pieces together --- but Lim employs it with a restraint that makes Tarantino's films look almost gimmicky by comparison.

Formulaic MTv script with some Asian stereotypes thrown in. The thing about stereotypes is that positives ones dehumanize just as much as the negatives ones. The only funny bit about this movie are the many plot parallels with Boyz n the Hood. almost fell on my ass laughing when I heard the comment about the dead body. I don't know if they are intentional, or just another symptom of the lack of imagination. I wouldn't support films like this with my money. There are better film about Asian American lives out there. After making billions with stereotypes of black Americans, some MTv executives must've thought they could try the formula with the Asian community.