REVIEW: THE MOTEL

Title: The Motel (2005)

Starring Jeffrey Chyau, Sung Kang, Jade Wu and Samantha Futerman

Produced by Flan de Coco Films

Written and Directed by Michael Kang

Netflix said I’d like this movie, and it was right. The Motel is one of the best coming-of-age films I’ve ever seen. From the glasses to the porkiness to the dorky clothes, Ernest is one of the most endearing teens I’ve seen on film. Regardless of what sort of person you were at 13, everyone can find a bit of him/herself in Ernest. A very, very appropriate name, indeed!

Ernest’s family owns and operates a motel in the outskirts of New York City. His mother is insane, his crush is a badass and his best friend is a 20-something man-whore living vicariously through him. Ernest discovers sexuality for the first time, jerking it into his sisters stuffed bunny among other things, and goes through things any 13-year-old does. What sets him apart, however, is the fact that he, alone, manages the motel as well as cleaning its repulsive rooms. Ernest has grown up way too fast but still has the innocence of a 13-year-old, which makes for a hilarious, and sometimes heartbreaking, film.

I was so happy to discover this film was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award (the only award that really means anything anymore) for Best First Feature. Michael Kang is not only an incredible director, but this script is nearly flawless. It’s a perfect mesh of adolescent drama, comedy and day-to-day life, which is harder to write than it seems.

There are numerous Korean and Chinese references in this film (almost the entire cast is Asian), so of course I didn’t understand half of them because I’m a goofy white girl. I think this would make the film more comical for those who understand anything about either culture. I personally thought Ernest’s karate-with-a-pop-can scene was hilarious, but again…goofy white girl.

The best part of this film was the scene where the motel-yard bully and his sister convince Ernest to kiss this girl to “prove he’s not a queer.” The second he walked into the scene, I knew something was up and had a feeling it would be a typical “proof game” us crazy people play when we’re figuring out what hormones are. You’ll laugh pretty hard through this one, unless you’re asexual, in which case I can’t help you there…

You should definitely go see this one, 1) if you’re Asian or wish you were Asian, 2) if you’ve ever wanted to know what it was like to live in a motel and 3) if you have a damn heart.

Plus, the Asian dude from Fast and the Furious is in it, and he actually proves he’s a great actor…

~ by alifeinthemovies on May 21, 2008.