"I sure can't say it was a feel-good movie," she said. "I really wanted to promote this to all of my friends. But now, after seeing it, I'm not so sure…"

The rest of us agreed. Our first impression of Better Luck Tomorrow was mixed; it didn't leave us with a satisfactory feeling.

"There was no… no closure," one friend said.

The movie started off happy-go-lucky, with humorous yet poignant glimpses of being an Asian American in a Southern Los Angeles suburb (Orange County, perhaps—the movie doesn't say). Towards the end, it takes a decidedly dark turn.

(Don't worry, I'm not going to give away any spoilers. I'm not going to rehash the plot either; the BLT web site does a good job of that.)

Had I expected this, I don't think I would have minded it as much. I don't know why I expected the movie to be an American Pie, served Asian-style, when it's really American Beauty, dressed Asian-style.

But you know what? That's my own damn fault.

I just watched the BLT trailer again and revisited the web site. The trailer surely hints at potential violence (see all those guns they're waving around?). And the synopsis clearly points to a dark climax:

…Ben's life careens out of control, into an intoxicating mix of sex, drugs, and crime, leading to a surprising end that will leave audiences engrossed, speechless and ultimately disturbed.

If that was director Justin Lin's aim, that it sure worked on my friends and I!

We went to dinner after the movie and sat around, trying to make sense of the movie. Though not all of us saw the movie trailer or web site, those that did didn't expected the disturbing aspect of the film. Even the movie's tagline, "Never underestimate an overachiever" didn't clue us in.

To our defense, I've read a bunch of reviews that take note of the confusing ads. "…the ads are enigmatic as to what the movie or plot is about," writes Oliver Wang and Hua Hsu of PopMatters.com.

But now that I've reread Lin's intentions, I'm appreciating BLT more and more. Aside from the fanfare of being the first Asian American-only film that doesn't bring in Asian American history (like Joy Luck Club, not that I'm saying that's a bad thing), BLT also succeeds as an entertaining, gritty movie.

This, coming from a guy who lists True Romance, Very Bad Things, Pulp Fiction, and Snatch among his favorite movies. My friends aren't fans of these dark films, so their distain for BLT is understandable.

I'm not really looking at this movie as the de facto representation of Asian Americans, though it's better than our usual Hollywood portrayal as gangster thugs, nerdy guys, or sexpot girls. Like True Romance or Very Bad Things, I'm looking at this movie for its pure entertainment value.

BLT, in my opinion, succeeds in that role.

My friends craved a deeper meaning, however. Lin states that this film is "…more about the loss of identity than the loss of innocence," though my friends found that both were strong themes in the movie.

So here are some angles in which to approach Better Luck Tomorrow:

  • You can take it for its pure entertainment value. Enjoy it's comedy and dark twist.
  • You can take it for its themes of the loss of identity and innocence. Take note of the characters' roles and behaviors and watch them change over the course of the film.
  • You can take it for its cultural significance and portrayal of Asian Americans. Criticize it for where it fails and herald it for where it succeeds.

If you haven't seen Better Luck Tomorrow yet, then go see it tomorrow (Ha! Sorry, that was a groaner, wasn't it?). It's a movie with many layers; take the layer that most suits you and find out what the hype is all about for yourself.

. . .

Have you seen Better Luck Tomorrow?