Ian Boyd Movies

Writer-director Michael Kang makes his feature debut with the coming-of-age comedy, The Motel. Newcomer Jeffrey Chyau stars as Ernest Chin, a chubby 13 year-old Chinese-American boy whose mother (Jade Wu) runs a sleazy motel in upstate New York. The clientele of The Motel are predominantly prostitutes and their johns, which spurs Ernest's budding sexual curiosity. When he's not cleaning rooms, eavesdropping on guests, avoiding the local bully, or tormenting his little sister Katie (Alexis Chin), Ernest harbors a crush on Christine (Samantha Futerman), who works at a nearby Chinese restaurant. Ernest has entered a writing contest at school with a story about his unhappy life at The Motel, and won an honorable mention. His scornful mother thinks his writing is a waste of time, and Ernest doesn't want her to see the story for fear that it will anger her. He's a social misfit, so he's intrigued when Sam Kim (Sung Kang of Better Luck Tomorrow), a Korean-American guest who frequently brings home prostitutes, befriends him. Sam takes Ernest under his wing, teaching him to drive and offering him his wisdom regarding women. Of course, Sam turns out to have his own serious issues with the opposite sex, and his advice to Ernest about Christine may not be exactly what the boy needs. Kang won the Asian American International Film Festival screenwriting competition with his script for The Motel in 2001, and the completed film was shown at the festival in 2005. The script was workshopped at the Sundance labs, where filmmaker Miguel Arteta (The Good Girl) signed on as a producer. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Directed by French documentary filmmaker Charles Najman, Royal Bonbon is the tale of a modern-day man who believes himself to be Henri Christophe, liberator of Haitian slaves during the early 1800s. King Chacha (Dominique Battraville) declares himself a ruler and his lady friend (Anne-Louise Mesadieux) a queen. When he is kicked out of Cap-Haitien, he joins up with young boy Thimothee (Benji) for a journey out of town. They end up in the abandoned palace of Sans Souci, which Chrisophe had built himself. Gathering support from the population of the next village, King Chacha lives out his dream as a ruler. Before long, he becomes a tyrant and is overthrown in a revolt. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Rodrigue Jean makes his feature debut with this bleak tale about a quartet of down-and-out 20-somethings in a blue-collar community in francophone New Brunswick. Steph (David La Haye) and his buddy Piston (Martin Desgagne) are out of jobs thanks to a strike at the local sawmill. To earn some money and pass the time, they engage in a little illegal free-marketeering and revive their band. To compound their troubles, Steph's older girlfriend Rose (Louise Portal) is growing tired of their relationship, while Pistin is having troubles with his ex-wife Marie-Lou (Marie-Jo Therio). Later, their friend Charles (Patrice Godin) returns from the big city to have the fond memories of his hometown dashed. This film was screen at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

In this film, the top ski slopes of the world are shown as a young businessman involves himself in the ongoing search for the run to end all runs. ~ Iotis Erlewine, Rovi