Combination Platter Review
by Max Hoffmann (max AT frame DOT com)May 12th, 1993
COMBINATION PLATTER
A film review by Max Hoffmann
Copyright 1993 Max Hoffmann
Seen: Sun 5/10/93, Palo Alto Square, SF Film Festival
Rating: 10 (scale of 1->10)
Director: Tony Chan
Prod: Chan, Ulla Zwicker
Screen: Edwin Baker, Chan
Camera: Yoshifumi Hosoya
Editor: Chan, James Y. Kwei
CAST: Jeff Lau, Colleen O'Brien, Lester Chan, Colin Mitchel, Kenneth Lu Running Time: 84 minutes
IN A NUTSHELL: funny yet cutting look at the slender thread that new immigrants sans green cards hang from in the kitchens of Chinese Restaurants. The film has an immediate, realistic feel to it. Refreshing due to a nearly all-Asian cast, fully fleshed with emotions and issues relevant to most of the audience. Well worth seeing as a brilliant first offering from a promising new director. General release this fall.
Tony Chan worked in his parent's Chinese Restaurant in Flushing NY for nearly ten years. He took over 400 pages of notes and observations while waiting tables. With an original dash of economy, he turned these notes into a tight script, and shot the film (sans location fees) at that very restaurant. "We had the advantage of not worrying about catering costs for cast and crew," he confided in the director's talk after the screening.
The film is fascinating viewing for audiences of any stripe. Even if you live in a part of the country with virtually no Asians, it's unlikely that you haven't eaten regularly at a Chinese restaurant. You may cringe from self-recognition when the camera shows a naked, "waiter's-eye view" of some very boorish patrons (like the smug Jr. Leaguer with her "Welcome to America, now speak English" T-shirt).
I'd hesitate to classify this as a strictly ethnic film. Most of the film takes place in the kitchen, where the political food-chain will resemble many a work place. You also see new-arrivals, yearning for citizenship, who must choose between integrity, and the chance to get the brass ring by screwing somebody else.
Tony Chan has taken what might have been a quaint, niche film, and turned it into a potential sleeper with mainstream appeal. It remains to be seen whether clever marketing, or careful selection of film-houses will generate the kind of word of mouth that THE CRYING GAME got. But this is one more film you should not miss.
The film was completed a scant twenty-four hours before its Sundance premiere in late January. Shot mostly at night, deft camera work eliminated the grainy night scenes commonly associated with films in this price range. (The entire budget was funded from family and friends.) It heads to Cannes next week, and will come to a screen near you this fall. All of the Asian actors are non-professionals (the lead, Jeff Lau, is a stock broker) which will come as a shock once you see the rich variety of performances. A very promising first offering from a young director going places.
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