Customer Reviews

Mail Order Wife

5 star:		(52)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This movie is a classic example of how a great movie is not made by star power or cgi effects, but by a solid premise and splendid execution.

_Mail Order Wife_ is a movie about Andrew, a young and arrogant filmmaker, who decides he'd like to make a documentary about Adrian, an NYC boy who has decided to order himself a mail order bride. An immediate problem is presented when Andrew helps pay for Lichi, the Burmese woman, and brings up a classic dilemma about moviemaking also addressed in great films like _Man Bits Dog_--Andrew is already showing signs of getting involved with his subject matter a little too subjectively. This is reinforced after Lichi arrives and Adrian turns out to be much less than an ideal husband, and Andrew decides that he needs to rescue this woman from an awful situation.

This may sound like the premise of a light, romantic comedy, or a hackneyed Lifetime made-for-TV, but what I revealed so far is only the first 30 minutes of this 90-minute film, because things don't move along so easily, and that's because these characters aren't easily categorizable, which is also a sign of strong filmmaking. Andrew has his own problems, with an inordinate sense of 'normalcy' and an arrogance streak that leaves him, in his own mind, justified in everything he does. Adrian, though a twisted man, is somehow charmingly simple. And Lichi isn't simply a quiet, victimized Asian girl, but one who has her own ulterior motives.

_Mail Order Wife_ is a comedy with dark undertones--there are wonderfully subtle moves, like how Andrew is always carrying his director's notebook even when involved in 'personal' conversations, and (you've seen it in the credits above) a surprising appearance by Jose Canseco, but these are also very troubling characters, played by unfamiliar actors to help make the mock-documentary motif seem all the more plausible. The movie takes many unpredictable and sensible turns, that makes 90 minutes feel like a satisfyingly large glimpse into these people's lives.

I would highly recommend this film to many, and I relish in the fact that such a small budget can result in such a wonderful endeavor.

I picked this up in the previously viewed DVD rack at my local Blockbuster store. I don't really know what motivated me to buy it because to be quite frank I assumed it would be awful. But, to my amazement, it was quite the opposite!

This very quirkly, completely original work is full of unexpected twists and turns, sometimes bordering on unbearably offensive and other times hysterically funny. The storyline is so audacious that I often found my mouth hanging open in disbelief. I was totally engaged by the story and the offbeat characters, and I too thought I was watching a documentary until the closing credits revealed that it was a totally fictional experience.

I won't go into the plot of this offbeat wonder, but I will say that I highly recommend it. It will stay with you long after it's over.

If you are thinking that Mail Order Wife is another one of those zany comedies, you would be wrong. Put it back on the shelf and rent something else.

If however you like movies that make you think, and that work with you on many levels, then you may enjoy this indie sleeper.

When you break it down, Mail Order Wife is the story of three lonely people. All losers in some way whether by life, circumstance or simply character.

Adrian, the sad sack New York doorman, orders a mail order bride with the help of Andrew, a documentary film maker. When Lichi arrives she is quickly exploited first by Adrian, then by Andrew. Lichi who at first is vulnerable, quickly becomes and exploiter as well, though she may be forgiven given her circumstances.

This is a film where everyone is using everyone else, yet all seem oblivious to the fact of what they are doing.

What I did like about the movie is that you are never quite sure where it is going, and as it moved toward the climax I had no clue how it would end.

It is the morning after, and I am still thinking about this film.

Although the characters are not necessarily likeable,and their motivations are definitely not pure, any film that makes you think is a winner in my book.

Cheers!

We caught this movie on Starz last year and it quickly became one of our favorite movies. The twists and turns on here make it so captivating and easily watchable. At first I didn't even know it was a mockumentary, it was so convincing, but by the end of the movie I was beginning to suspect that it was probably a set up.

Although it does have some sex scenes which some viewers may find disturbing, and it does get a little slow - parts of which could be cut to make the run time a little less and it wouldn't affect the outcome, we really enjoyed this movie! As others have said, it really surprised me at how great of a movie it was. I'm hoping to order it soon!

I saw this movie flipping through the channels one day and it had me on the edge of my seat. I was disgusted by the bride, groom and then later at the guy who was making the documentary. Until the very end when I learned it was a mockumentary I still was in disbelief. I think this film was gutsy to make based in fiction, but the point of the film is that it is so easy to see this as a work of non-fiction in todays depraved world. I want to show everyone this film, but I will tell them all it is a documentary so they get the same impact that I got out of it! Why is it that films this unique never make the mainstream?

-unique as a movie, yet it describes something you can say is all too common.

This movie is weird and confusing all at the same time, but very very good. you won't want to leave the tv.
Its about a guy doing a documentary on the process of another man ordering a wife from a foreign country. The husband to be is a slob, rude, and has pretty much no friends, which is equal to his love life...or lack thereof. the guy documenting this offers to pay for the wife and her plane ticket. when she gets over, she can speak very little english, but fulfills her wife dities like a stepford wife. as the filming goes on, the ordered wife tells the filmer that her husband ties her up and takes pictures of her for the internet, and other disgusting things that she doesn't want to do. at this point, the documenter and the ordered wife have a close bond that is a little more than freindly. they have a little something, and hey try to get seperated from the husband.
she ends up playing them both and goes back to her country where she appears on another Mail Order Wife website/company.
Its confusing because i'm still not sure if this was a real documentary that went array, or a film with a script and a little improv.
anyway, its good. go rent it.

I'll be the first to admit that I watched this movie with a friend who led me to believe that this was a real documentary and I believed all of it was true! I know, I may be gullible but this is the only way to watch the film! Now looking back I wonder how I could've been so gullible in thinking that everything I saw in the movie was true.

Of course, now that you are reading these reviews, you in fact know that this is a MOCKumentary. But I invite you to buy the movie, tell everyone you know that this is a documentary and watch it with them... and watch their reactions! It's priceless.

The movie is definitely one of those sleeper movies that not many people know about. It is put together very well and keeps your interest throughout the whole movie.

Unlike most viewers, I have had some personal experience with this subject, so I knew right off the bat that it wasn't the real documentary it tries to sell itself as. I didn't order my wife from a catalog, and we lived together for several years in her country before moving to the US to get married, but I know for a fact it isn't nearly that easy to bring a fiancé over from Asia! The interviews, proof of real relationship, endless forms and background checks...it takes a lot of time and a lot of money, and isn't the casual thing portrayed here!

So after seriously suspending my disbelief at the unrealistic premise, I enjoyed "Mail Order Wife" much more than I was expecting to. In fact, everything about it was not what I was expecting. Even knowing the nature of the film, it manages to keep you on your toes, give you that uncomfortable feeling of not knowing if you are supposed to laugh or be outraged, and then hitting you with scenes so funny you have to stop the DVD because you are laughing so hard.

The first portion of the film plays it totally straight. A tubby and lonely doorman, Adrian, orders a wife, Lichi (brilliantly played by Eugenia Yuan, star of The Eye 2), from a catalog. The whole process is paid for by Andrew, a documentary film maker who gets a little too involved in the subjects. Adrian treats Lichi like a maid and a porn star, and she finally escapes and runs to the rescue of Andrew. Things seem to be going well, but Andrew is not the nice guy that he seems, nor is Lichi content to be the subservient housewife. At this point, the whole story takes a turn to the ridiculous, and any trickery about this being a real documentary goes out the window. That's when the movie gets really good.

Lichi is really the star of this show. Eugenia Yuan is an amazing actress, who can effortless pull sympathetic tears or belly-busting guffaws from viewers. To anyone who has seen the movie, all I have to say is "pigs" or "baby" to get you laughing again. The director and lead, Andrew, has apparently tried to balance his skills as a documentary filmmaker with his desire to have things turn out the way he would like to rather than the way they are. A previous documentary of his, about Frat House hazing, was later discovered to be full of staged acts instead of the real thing. With "Mail Order Bride" he gets to have the best of both worlds, while playing with the audience as well.

To those in the know, there are some major flaws in the film, like the above mentioned ease with which Adrian acquires Lichi, and the fact that even though she is supposed to be from Burma she speaks Chinese. But that is going to happen to any movie when you know too much about the subject, and it is time to just shut off that part of your brain.

The DVD has some great extra features, included deleted scenes and audition tapes. The deleted scenes are pretty funny, but it is easy to see why the director chose to take them out as they would give away the game too early.

Like the others here, we thought it was a documentary, until half-way thru - Norman and I looked at each other and asked "this isn't a documentary, is it? it's a 'movie,' right? like actors, a script.. you know...?"

There are funny moments, and sad. And, if it were true, which it is possible that this does go on, then sad for the girl of course. The price to pay to be able to come to the US.

But, she finds her voice and does stand up for herself. The pig collection scene is priceless. the "I want baby!" scene wild!

The main guy, Adrian, is a fat ugly pig, but, at first you think he might be an OK guy, but, soon find out, not so much. The second main guy, Andrew, not a lot better.

Lichi is wonderful. great acting.

This is an amusing, entertaining film.Very original. Not going to impact the world or be on my top 100 list, but, I liked it. So did my Norman. thanks, SS.

When my mom asked if my friend and I wanted to watch this movie, we were rather taken aback... I mean, a film about a guy doing a documentary on a mail-order bride? I've read enough in the papers to be both appalled and curious... of course not all mail order brides are going to be put in terrible situations when they arrive, but there are plenty of stories about the women who are... I was curious and had to watch.

It was horribly appalling, my friend and I were shocked and horrified by much of the action... we found ourselves rooting for the poor girl even when it got to the point in the movie where it was obvious she wasn't totally the vulnerable victim anymore, that she'd become more adjusted to life in America and was starting to do things for herself. The depth of human depravity, our disgust for both the men in the movie - the first for his terrible treatment of his mail-order bride and the other for his confused attempts at heroism and then his demand for her eternal gratitude, we couldn't, didn't want to, believe this atrocity of human interaction... but we knew it was real.

Then, imagine!, our shock and surprise (and I know I'm not ruining this for anyone because other reviewers hve already revealed this)... it WASNT a documentary! The people were actors! As soon as the gag reel started, along with the credits, we were confused... and as it slowly dawned on us that we'd been had (my mom's laughter at our faces helped) we couldn't stop babbling about what a terrific movie it was.

Half the fun, honestly, was not knowing that it was a mockumentary and discovering that at the end... and I still need to buy this and play it for my friends who haven't even heard of this little-known movie. But either way, it's still a good movie, if only because it showcases - not just the story - but ourselves. Yes, my friend and I were appalled at the treatment of the girl in the movie... but we were also willing to believe that it was actually happening. It's the thrust of human nature, we believed it, were appalled by it... and couldn't stop watching it. And immediately wanted to share it with our friends...

This movie tells us as much about ourselves as humans as it does about the possibilities of human cruelty and selfishness that are portrayed in the actual footage.