Kelvin Han Yee Movies

The full title of this culture-clash drama was originally The Great Wall is a Great Wall. The first American production to be shot in Red China, the film was produced and directed by Peter Wang. Wang himself stars as Leo Fang, a San Francisco computer engineer who decides to move his family to China in search of his "roots." For the first time in his life, Fang discovers what it is to be Chinese and not merely a hyphenated American, but his wife and children are not so easily assimilated into their new surroundings. Problems arise when Fang and his brood move in with their Mainland relatives, who are curious (and a little apprehensive) about Western culture. It takes a long, long time before a common ground of mutual understanding and respect is reached, and it is the children who take the first steps towards that ground. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Adam Sandler co-writes and produces this Columbia Pictures comedy starring Nick Swardson as Bucky Larson, a nerd from nowhere who heads out West to become a porn star after finding out his parents were ones themselves. Upon arriving in Hollywood, a waitress (Christina Ricci) with self-esteem issues gets him situated in the slightly less seedy part of town. Meanwhile, Bucky connects with a friend of his parents, Miles Deep (Don Johnson), who pities the backwards man-child and gives him a shot in the world of porn - only to discover that he's severely lacking in both experience and manliness. Through sheer luck, the footage of Bucky becomes a viral hit on the internet and he is propelled to the top of the adult film business, irking the current king of porn actors, Dick Shadow (Stephen Dorff), who'll do anything to not be in the shadow of the small time fool. The Hot Chick's Tom Brady handled directing duties. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Finn Taylor's quirky comedy Cherish concerns Zoe (Robin Tunney), a woman unlucky in love. She is berated at work and always seems to strike out with the opposite sex. After being asked by an attractive co-worker (Jason Priestley) to dance at a party, Zoe is kidnapped by a stalker who has fallen in love with her. During a scuffle, they accidentally kill a police officer. The stalker disappears and Zoe is charged with the crime. Soon she is under house arrest. The technician in charge of her ankle bracelet (Tim Blake Nelson) is as socially awkward as she is. Soon they grow close and he gets her a nine-hour window in which the pair tries to find the stalker and clear her name. Rocker Liz Phair and Saturday Night Live alumnus Nora Dunn round out the cast of this film that was screened at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Larry (Larry David) locks himself out of his car, and learns that the drive-thru window at Jack-in-the-Box does not accept walk-thru customers. He despairs until Peter (Frank Whaley), a friendly passing motorist, agrees to give him a lift. Jeff (Jeff Garlin) arrives, and gives Larry the bad news about Richard (Richard Lewis): he needs a kidney transplant. Because the comic's cousin refuses to give up any of his organs while he's still alive, Richard is hoping that a close friend will come through. Larry's response is, "I have to choose healthier friends." Eventually he gets into a conflict with Jeff about which of them should offer to give Richard a kidney. Also, Larry aggravates two different receptionists, one by revealing too little information, the other by revealing too much. He also argues with Cheryl (Cheryl Hines) over what constitutes "snuggling" ("I'm using the ass as a lever to draw you in! That's all!") and debates the rules of "Eenie Meenie Minee Mo" with Jeff. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Asian-American playwright Philip Kan Gotanda made his directorial debut with this unusual crime drama. When two San Francisco police detectives find a very dead body in an abandoned car, a bit of digging reveals the man was minor-league criminal Harry Sado (Sab Shimono), who left behind his story in his own words -- on tape. Harry's troubles began when he discovered his partner, Mr. Jones (Philip Kan Gotanda), was ripping him off. Harry's logical response was to start ripping off his partner, which led him to hide out in San Francisco. There Harry tied to reunite with his children, which proved to be more trouble than it was worth, and met a mysterious woman who once lived in the apartment Harry had rented. Once Mr. Jones tracked Harry down, though, a confrontation between these two bad men was inevitable. Life Tastes Good was shown as part of the American Spectrum series at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Academy Award winner Sean Penn takes the title role in Gus Van Sant's biopic tracing the last eight years in the life of Harvey Milk, the ill-fated politician and gay activist whose life changed history, and whose courage still inspires people. When Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, he made history for being the first openly gay man in American history to be voted into public office. But the rights of homosexuals weren't Milk's primary concern, as tellingly evidenced by the wide array of political coalitions he formed over the course of his tragically brief career. He fought for everyone from union workers to senior citizens, a true hero of human rights who possessed nothing but compassion for his fellow man. The story begins in New York City, where a 40-year-old Milk ponders what steps he can take to make his life more meaningful.

Eventually, Milk makes the decision to relocate to the West Coast, where he and his lover, Scott Smith (James Franco), found a small business in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. Empowered by his love for the Castro neighborhood and the success of his business, Castro Camera, Milk somewhat unexpectedly begins to emerge as an outspoken agent for change. With a growing support system that includes both Scott and a like-minded young activist named Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), the charismatic Milk decides to take a fateful leap into politics, eventually developing a reputation as a leader who isn't afraid to follow up his words with actions. In short order, he is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, though this seeming triumph is in fact the catalyst for a tragedy that starts to unfold as Milk does his best to forge a political partnership with Dan White (Josh Brolin), another newly elected supervisor. Over time it becomes apparent that Milk and White's political agendas are directly at odds, a revelation that puts their personal destinies on a catastrophic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Blockbuster action director Michael Bay delivers a striking look at a strange world of the future in this sci-fi action drama. Midway through the 21st century, Lincoln Six Echo (Ewan McGregor) lives in a confined indoor community after ongoing abuse of the Earth has rendered most of the planet uninhabitable. One of the only places in the outside world still capable of sustaining life is an idyllic island where citizens are chosen to live through a lottery. Or at least that's what Lincoln and his fellow citizens are taught to believe; the truth is that Lincoln, like everyone he knows, is actually a clone who is kept under wraps to provide needed organs when the person who supplied his or her DNA falls ill. When he becomes aware that his existence is a fraud, Lincoln escapes to the outside world with a fellow clone, Jordan Two Delta (Scarlett Johansson), though the powers that be are determined to see that no one gets away alive. The Island also stars Steve Buscemi, Djimon Hounsou, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Sean Bean. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi