The Joy Luck Club

Rating:
Summary: A cinematic epic of Asian-American life
Review: "The Joy Luck Club," directed by Wayne Wang, is an impressive multi-generational saga that spans two continents and several decades. The film looks at the lives of four Asian-American families. In particular, the film focuses on four mother-daughter pairs. This group of eight women is tied together by the friendship of the mothers, each of whom emigrated from China to the United States. The screenplay is based on the novel by Amy Tan.

The film deals with many issues: death, loss, racism, communication (or the failure thereof), male/female dynamics, and economic independence. The film also addresses such mythic concepts as the United States as a "melting pot," or as a land of opportunity.

The film is not without its flaws. At times, it seems like a whittled-down miniseries; it's as if the screenwriters and director are simply trying to stuff too much material into a limited amount of film. And the endless parade of abusive, selfish male characters gets a little tiresome; I believe that some will view this as a "male-bashing" film. At times, the story seems a bit too soap opera-ish.

But the film's strengths, in my opinion, outweigh its weaknesses. Wang gets many good performances from the very large cast. The production values are superb; the film has the look and feel of a true epic. The complex storytelling technique (multiple flashbacks, including flashback-within-flashback) is pretty well handled by the filmmakers. And Rachel Portman's musical score effectively complements the film as a whole. Overall, I feel enriched by having experienced "The Joy Luck Club."

Rating:
Summary: Almost perfect
Review: I was especially impressed with the way Ying Ying's story was shown and woven into that of her daughter. I didn't pay attention to the opening credits for "Joy Luck Club" and didn't realize at first who was playing Ying Ying as an elderly lady -- only that she was beautiful. Her deep rich voice finally told me that this was the French-Chinese actress France Nuyen. The infinite sorrow she conveyed in telling her own story, and then telling herself what she wanted for her daughter, really did move me to tears.

The whole cast is fantastic and the cinematography is exquisite.

My only qualm about this film is that it is so female-oriented that all the men come off as ineffectual or disgusting. (I felt this about the Anglos as well as the Asians portrayed.) I was pleased, however, that Oliver Stone managed to keep to the story and not make it An Oliver Stone Movie.

Rating:
Summary: Biased view of Asian Men as Fu-Manchu's
Review: I echo a comment below about this movie being a perpetuator of negative stereotypes of Asian men. Quote: the three Chinese men in the movie are "a mysognist, an anal-rententive bald loser, and an old accented chinese dude" respectively. Compare them to uniformly understanding, benevolent white guys, and you see what's wrong about this movie: grossly biased and simplistic. A crowd pleaser at the expense of a true minority's collective image.

Rating:
Summary: Bittersweet; thought provoking; not just for Asians
Review: THE JOY LUCK CLUB: this is actually a wonderful movie about family relationships even though some people thought it was just an Asian flick. It's poignant, moving and surreal in the sense that it combines the same mistakes that the mothers made (as shown through flashback sequences) comparing it to the daughers who are going through similiar trials.

Rating:
Summary: The Cosby Show of Asian American movies
Review: My sentiments about this movie are similar to the ones expressed by Peter Kim in another review.

As a depiction of assimilated Chinese-American life, this movie is good and portrays mother-daughter relationships exceptionally well. The feelings evoked probably resonate with most Asian American people and non-AA's as well.

BUT!

The problem is that non-AA's who see this movie will think that this representation of AA's illustrates all AA's, which is not true. From this movie, you would think that all AA's are assimilated, mainstream, bland, and humorless. Just like if you saw the Cosby Show, and thought that all African Americans were mainstream, checkered-sweater wearing people.

I guess I am critiquing what I perceive to be an assimilated, female-dominant Chinese-American culture. Anyone who lives in LA or NY and knows Korean-Americans or Filipino-Americans will understand that AA's can also be racy, quirky, sexy, funny, unique, militant, and cool.

Watch this movie because it is definitely good at what it's trying to do. Just don't think that all Asians are like the ones portrayed in the movie.

Rating:
Summary: You've got to see this one!
Review: This is a wonderful film that transcends the boundaries of mother/daughter relationships, parent/child relationships, adversity, hope and love. This is an excellent must see film that can be enjoyed by anybody. And for those of you who think this is just another "chick flick" how wrong you are! It's all about four strong and independent women who overcame adversity in China and their equally strong, assimilated daughters who are facing obstacles of their own in America. The film really is eight stories (the mothers and daughters) woven into one unforgettable film that is held neatly together by Wayne Wang's good direction and the extraordinary performances of it's beautiful and under-appreciated lead actresses. This superb film stars Ming-Na (Wen), France Nuyen, Tamlyn Tomita, Lauren Tom, Kieu Chinh and Rosalind Chao. This is a great film that never runs out of steam or seems trite. The performances are grand, the settings are beautiful and what about that tearjerker ending? True, this film might not be for some, but for those of us who have open minds and are open to the power of love and hope, this will be a rewarding and delightful film. This is a wonderful film all around that also features Andrew McCarthy, Diane Baker and Elizabeth Sung. A true work of art! Be sure to see this one, you'll be glad you did!

Rating:
Summary: Weaving a Story
Review: This is a fantastic movie and one filled with joy and heart breaking events. Do not let the slow start fool you. I am not usually into dramas and it is rare that i can sit through one that starts off slower than usual. This is not a action film or one filled with comedy, its true power lies in the carefully crafted transition from modern time to the pasts of these wonderful female asian characters. The words here are so important as well as the narrators voice and tone that you find yourself hanging on to the even the smallest details mentioned.

Even if you have studied Asian history and events in the past or now, this movie has a gripping way of holding your attention and leaving you hoping for more. Nothing can prepare you for the inner stories such as these.

Give this movie a chance even if you don't like dramas, but be warned, grab a tissue before you sit down.

Rating:
Summary: A great mother-daughter movie!
Review: I knew I would love this movie because I loved the book and love all of Amy Tan's writings. I didn't find it difficult to follow at all. I went with my mother and she really enjoyed it also...especially the tearful ending. The movie looked good, too. The costumes and settings were beautiful and even the actors were extraordinarily attractive...particularly Tamlyn Tomita. I remember her in The Karate Kid II.

Rating:
Summary: A mother-daughter type of movie
Review: I saw this movie with my mother and we both loved it. We had each read the book, so we knew who was who, no problem there, and we found it easy to follow. We loved the look of the movie, the settings and costumes and the characters themselves looked great.

I love Amy Tan's books and wish it didn't take her so long to write them. I know she works hard over them, it shows. Her new one will be out in February, I can hardly wait. In the meantime, I think I'll read The Joy Luck Club again.

Rating:
Summary: silly
Review: I think anybody who can say this film was rubbish is SILLY.Even though it was in 1/2 Chinese 1/2 English I still understood it as the acting was excelent.Pitty that the guy who screwed his g-f against the wall had to be a 'baddy'! He was very cute!