ShangLuda Admirable film.

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

jwyliejr Not for those with short attention spans, this movie builds its characters slowly and methodically, with attention to telling visual detail and realistic dialog. Nevertheless, it's a very sexy movie, though not in a lurid sense. Even its most melodramatic elements are so well-grounded that nothing comes off gimmicky or cheap, and its shot-on-video photography is utilized intelligently and intuitively, with a surprisingly broad pallet of colors and textures. With such an overall understated tone, it's easy, on first viewing, to not notice the movie's technical suppleness. Forget the ethnic makeup of its cast, or its low-budget market niche. This is a masterpiece of character study and adept film-making.

Caitlin I caught this on IFC awhile ago, and I was rather hooked (the main reason at first was the title---The Cure is the best ^^). The conversations are interesting and the subtle relationships that build up; the way you can sort of tell what the characters are feeling is a really unique and rare thing in films. In fact it's more of a study of how people are than a movie. It also features one of the single greatest sex scenes ever in cinematic history (without any nudity at all!), revealing its sensual side. I definitely recommend this to anyone feeling up to some thinking.

Liffeyride The indie gem, "Charlotte Sometimes," proves that subtlety and economy of expression can speak volumes about the human condition. Whereas many romance flicks rely upon verbal dramatization, Eric Byler's first directed feature subdues the audience with tacit performances. The dialogue, when occasionally present, is carried by sparse words and heavy pauses. Such laconism gives "Charlotte Sometimes" its unique strength by letting the images do the talking.The first few minutes of the film establish the character of Michael (Michael Idemoto) through only visuals-a montage of his daily routine. We watch him as a mechanic by day and a loner by night. Sometimes, he frequents a local nightclub, but most nights, he reads while the sexual moans of his neighbor Lori (Eugenia Yuan) seep into his Silver Lake apartment. Postcoital, her hunky boyfriend Justin (Matt Westmore) sleeps while Lori tiptoes upstairs to watch a movie with Michael. Long after the movie is over, she is asleep on Michael's shoulder, and he is gazing upon her. His eyes tell us that this, sadly enough, will be the most intimate moment between them.A chance encounter with Darcy (Jacqueline Kim) affords Michael the opportunity to end his insipid lifestyle. She claims many things, among them being a writer and a transient. Even though Darcy warns Michael, "Men don't really want to be with me, they only think they do," the two begin a relationship against their better judgment. The love rectangle that forms in this Silver Lake duplex comes with realistic consequence and unabashed honesty. We're in short supply of films of such artistic integrity.Also admirable are the characters for their unflinching independence. They don't compromise. They make love and war. They demand fulfillment instead of pining for it. The script would have benefited from more externalization of Michael since his reticence obstructs our ability to fully empathize. Still, Idemoto's Zen-like stoicism is powerfully implicit. Yuan deftly plays Lori with blithe abandon and tenderness. Kim commands the most deliciously shrewd character of Darcy with aplomb. At times, Darcy's smile is an enigma. Other times, her curled lips sing utter mischief. Asian Americans comprise the handsome cast but their cultural backgrounds don't beg for significance like other self-aware films. Ethnic undertones in the scenes suffice. The soundtrack by Michael Brook and Cody Chestnutt lends great texture to the visual style of jump cut editing mixed with classical continuity-a wonderful marriage of sight and sound, appropriately so for complex character psychology and nuanced storytelling. Observing the intelligence of his story, the maturation of characters, and the technical wizardry on a meager budget, I surmise that Byler is off to a promising start as a feature filmmaker, having already exemplified an aphorism of Alfred Hitchcock: "Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms."

pyamada The use of silence and conversations filled with silence is one of the strongest aspects of this surprisingly mature and interesting film. This dramatic triad has as much problem facing feelings as it does wants and desires. As the masks come off, we learn just how fragile and messed-up each one is, and how difficult it is for all three of them to reach out and communicate. Understatement and silence and powerful parts of this movie, and it all has a very asian feeling, even if their dilemmas are acculturated and familiar to non-asian americans. Though the son who gets stuck with the family business out of obligation and something like filial piety, struck me as very asian. The film also manages to convey a significant existential quality to the main characters that is very nuanced and requires contemplation.