Eugenia Yuan Movies
A man finds himself caught between several worlds -- rough real life and a number of parallel fantasy lands -- in this blend of drama and fantasy. Jorge (Octavio Gómez Berríos) is a painfully shy young man from Ecuador who has immigrated to the United States. Jorge keeps body and soul together by washing dishes at a greasy-spoon diner in a Queens, NY, neighborhood that's dominated by a wide variety of fellow immigrants. Jorge spends most of his days at work being harassed by Rick (Mandy Patinkin), the diner's owner, and loud-mouthed manager Jerry (Aaron Paul). One of the only people at the diner who shows any kindness to Jorge is Amy (Eugenia Yuan), an Asian waitress, and Jorge has become deeply infatuated with her. However, Jerry also has his eyes on Amy, only adding to the tension between him and Jorge. As Jorge struggles to escape his grim circumstances, he passes into a variety of alternate realities, ranging from a pastel-colored wonderland ruled by animated bunnies to a grassy sylvan past a fence. Choking Man was written and directed by Steve Barron, best known for his groundbreaking work in music videos; the film received its world premiere at the 2006 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Octavio Gómez Berríos, Kate Buddeke, (more)
A movie maker unwittingly gets a bit too involved with his subjects in this darkly comic mockumentary. Andrew (Andrew Gurland) is a documentary filmmaker who wants to make a picture about modern-day mail order marriage. Andrew thinks he's found the perfect subject for his film when he meets Adrian (Adrian Martinez), a stocky snake enthusiast from Queens, NY, who earns his living as a doorman and has never had much luck with women. Adrian wants choose a bride from a professional marriage broker's agency called Paradise Girls, and Andrew agrees to foot the bill in exchange for the rights to make a movie about him. Adrian soon weds Lichi (Eugenia Yuan), an attractive Burmese woman, but Andrew is less than pleased to discover what Adrian really wants from his relationship is a woman who will feed mice to his pet python, make chili just the way he likes it, and keep the house spotless while occasionally indulging some of his odder sexual fantasies. Lichi isn't happy either, and at Andrew's urging she leaves Adrian and moves into Andrew's apartment until she decides what to do next. Andrew falls for Lichi, and before long he asks for her hand in marriage; however, her relationship with Adrian has stripped Lichi of her illusions, and she becomes a very demanding bride who loudly speaks her mind and has accumulated a large and expensive collection of pig-related nick knacks. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Adrian Martinez, Eugenia Yuan, (more)
Three constitutes an omnibus package of three short horror films made by Asian directors. "Memories," made by Kim Ji-Woon, is about a woman (Kim Hye-Soo) who disappears from the home she shares with her husband (Jung Bo-Seog) and children, and ends up in a futuristic city filled with many disturbing hindrances to her finding her way back home. Nonzee Nimibutr's "The Wheel" contains a puppeteer who is unsuccessful in warning a dance troupe about using cursed puppets. Peter Ho-Sun Chan's "Coming Home" stars Eric Tsang as a policeman who becomes involved with his neighbors, a married couple who are involved in with some mysterious herbal medications. Three was screened at the Vancouver Film Festival. This film was actually produced first in a series of two omnibus horror films (followed by Three... Extremes), but was actually released after Three... Extremes and retitled Three... Extremes II for the English-language market. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Hye-su, Jung Bo-Seog, (more)
Four twentysomethings living in the hip L.A. suburb of Silverlake struggle with love, lust, and ennui in this independently produced feature, nominated for two 2003 Independent Spirit Awards. Taking its title from the Cure song of the same name, Charlotte Sometimes concerns the shadowy existence of Michael (Michael Idemoto) and Lori (Eugenia Yuan), next-door neighbors who form an intimate -- if sexless -- friendship. Lori, committed to her sexually carnivorous boyfriend, Justin (Matt Westmore), but more emotionally connected to Michael, tries to convince her platonic neighbor to find a girlfriend. Fed up with his unrequited love for Lori, Michael does just that, hooking up with the dark and mysterious Darcy (Jacqueline Kim). But as Michael navigates his budding romance with Darcy, jealousies erupt with the other couple, and the secrets the co-eds withhold from each other threaten to break the two relationships apart. Written, directed, and edited by first-time filmmaker Eric Byler, Charlotte Sometimes had its premiere at the 2002 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Idemoto, Jacqueline Kim, (more)
- 2001
After pulling in a couple of teenaged suspects who turn out to be innocent bystanders, Greg (Gordon Clapp) and Baldwin (Henry Simmons) try to solve the murder of a Chinese delivery man by checking cell-phone records. Investigating the claims made by IRS agent Victor Poole (Marty Rackham) that he has been kidnapped, Andy (Dennis Franz) ends up exposing Poole's secret life -- and is labeled "homophobic" for his troubles. Despite his headaches at work, Andy still intends to go through with his remarriage to Katie (Debra Monk). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
