East Bay

East Bay feels like an epic film. Although made on a minuscule budget, there is non-stop action in the journey taken by the main character, Jack Lee, as he tries and "fails" to honour the sacrifice of his ancestors and immigrant parents. And also seeks the answers to meaning of life, along with a cast of fascinating and different characters. You see his stumbles in career, relationships, and film projects, and also hear his thoughts and experiernce his fantasies. This is a film jam-packed with humor, emotion, philosophy, feeling and also charm. It's filmed in some beautiful settings and set to an equally rich soundtrack. On top of that there are hockey scenes which serve to further illuminate the characters and how they relate to each other, in a way that I've never seen before. It's brilliant!

I've watched this a couple times at its theatrical launch in Toronto, and each time I get more of an appreciation for the fine writing and construction of this intricate film, of how all of its many elements fit together, as also for the performances of the main characters. Constance Wu in particular gives a wide-ranging yet subtle performance, beautifully done.

It's hard to believe this is an independent film that was self-financed. Although the fact that it took more than 10 years to complete (as explained in the Q&A after the launch) does partly explain the richness of the editing.

To be sure, this is not a film for the casual goer, but for those seeking something beyond classification that Hollywood can't or won't produce, devoid of all cliches, they will be richly rewarded.