Life Tastes Good

"Life Tastes Good" is one of those movies that you just wish you had the power (read: money) to bring about it's wider distribution. Philip Kan Gotanda has put together a story w/ a family of veteran actors Sab Shimano and Tamlyn Tomita and new-comer Greg Watanabe all of whom draw us into each tiny step the plot and characters make. In this story, we have a father, Shimano, trying to re-establish ties w/ his daughter (Tomita) and son (Watanabe). The daughter is willing to accept the father's return but is concerned about his judgment of her life. The son has the career his father would admire but the son resents the father for a reason that isn't initially clear. Those of us here in San Francisco have been privileged to watch Greg Watanabe grow as an actor to the point of our expressing sadness and anger that Hollywood does not provide parts for Watanabe. Gotanda has utilized him well as he places a quirky reserved son, childish in his expressions of upset towards his father. Tomita's character is also well-developed to display a disaffection w/ her place in this world, yet still finding self-affirmation. I simply loved this move with each slow step. Not much is said in the movie. You're forced to pay attention than forced to ask questions w/ your friends afterwards. [I apologize if I've spelled the name's incorrectly. Unfortunately, due to Hollywood's white-boy network keeping many Asian-Am actors/actresses out of roles, I have not seen any of the names of the actors/actresses in this movie often enough to remember the spellings.] One of the interesting facets of the film is Gotanda's character's use of his finger as lethal weapon. When asked at a question and answer period of the San Francisco International Film Festival where he came up w/ that idea, Gotanda responded by saying that when one is forced to work w/ a small budget, one cannot afford guns, so he had to be creative. Hollywood's blockbusters w/ tons of cash @ their disposal can create fancy visuals, but they often lack in the creative story-telling and characterization demonstrated in this gem. Life does taste good.

For some strange reason I can't get enough of this movie. I like the cast and the theme. When "Harry" ate a piece of the mushroom w/the "woman" I could relate to the meaning. Anyone, like myself, who endures suffering whether from a car accident or an illness could appreciate life in a different way. Sure you can watch all the mushy soapy movies out there but it didn't click with me until I saw this movie. Especially when "Harry" tries to pray and forgets the words and says "fuck it" ditto to when he tries to meditate and he couldn't get into position again w/the "fuck it" attitude. But, at the end, the woman taught him that life DOES taste GOOD! Now, where can I buy this????? GmS

I just saw this film on IFC and I was so impressed, I couldn't stop watching it. And I stumbled across it by pure accident. Julia Nickson is stunning as ever and has come along way as an accomplished actress since her interesting turn in "Rambo II". I was not familiar with the other actors but they all did an excellent job in their individual portrayals. Especially the son and daughter. All the characters were pretty well developed.

It was also great to see a contemporary Asian film that was not dubbed. Very well worth seeing. Wonderful and compelling storyline with great dialog you have to pay attention to.

The story line isn't new, but the telling is, and the actors are first class. There are marvelous touches of humor and poignant yet subtle comments on the human condition. It's a cop film, it's film noir, it's a love story, it's a family drama – a well written, beautifully acted film that will intrigue you and also make you angry. You'll be angry (if you have any sense) because you'll have had a rare chance to see an ensemble of Asian American actors you probably never saw before. Only a couple of the actors will be familiar at all, from single roles in a couple of big films. The talent in this cast and crew is remarkable, and most American film goers will never get the chance to notice their work. Spend an evening with this movie and enjoy a rare treat.