Customer Reviews

Red Doors

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I had the opportunity of seeing this at a film festival and now have pre-ordered the DVD. It is a wonderful story about a disfuntioncal family. Even thougt they are Asian I feel it can apply to many families. I do not understand the reason for the "R" rating. Do not let turn you off from seeing this film. I think mature young teenagers will also enjoy it, and would hate for them to miss this message. It is about life and what is happening in the world today between the generations.

I am not Asian, but felt it applied to many families that have old customs and older people who feel their children should follow family traditions.

This film has great acting, photograpy is wonderful and these up-and-coming filmmakers are ones to watch.

I had thought it should have won CineVegas' film festival.

Red Doors is a film about a dysfunctional Chinese-American family living in a suburb in New York. The parents Ed Wong (Tzi Ma) and May-Li Wong (Freda Foh Shen) have three daughters: Sam (Jacqueline Kim) who is the oldest, Elaine Kao (Julie) is the middle child, and the youngest daughter is Katie (Kathy Shao-Lin Lee).

Ed had just retired and is trying to figure out how to excape the dullness of his life. His daughters are experiencing their own dysfunctional dramas.Sam is a business woman who is getting ready for her impending nuptials to Mark (Jayce Bartok) but when an old high school flame returns to town, Sam begins to question if she is ready for marriage. Julie who is a med student who is excelling at her studies but when it comes to her personal life, she doesn' t exactly get a passing grade due to her acute shyness. Her world is quickly turned upside down when she meets a popular actress named Mia Scarlett (Mia Riverton), and eventually becomes romantically involved with the actress. Katie is engaged in a prank war with her next door neighbor's son Simon (Sebastian Stan). When Ed suddenly up and leaves the family, the girls are forced to re-examine their lives and how to live on accordingly to what their heart says, not what is expected of them by family obligations (sort of an invisible fence).

I loved Red Doors. The home video footage of which I assume is from Georgia Lee's childhood added an authentic feel to the film. The ending though left me a bit unsatisfied. I hate it when films end on such a broad note. I was hoping that this film would have come to one of my local arthouse theatres but it didn't. I had to wait for it to come out on dvd. The relationship between Julie and Mia reminded me that of Wil and Vivian in the other Asian American film Saving Face(which is one of my all time faovrite films). It was complicated because Julie is more introverted while Mia is more extroverted, plus Mia was a popular actress which throws a monkey wrench into their relationship. Still the way the conflict was resolved between Julie and Mia was certainly more realistic than Wil and Vivan's. There is an obvious great love between the family members in the film especially between the mother and her daughters. I wish the film ended with some sort of resolution to the father's situation. Overall excellent film.

This is a fantastic film that has clearly defined characters that I cared about and a story that kept me interested thoughout the film. It is really a slice of suburban life, kind of like American Beauty with a much happier ending. Check this out.

This is a rare film. Nothing is trite or predictable; it's a very creative script that makes each character endearing. There are no bad guys here, just people taking life as it comes. Others have said that this could be any family, not specifically an Asian-American family and I think that is the point: the laughter and the tears transcend heritage or skin color.

Red Doors is an acclaimed and festival winning film about a dysfunctional Chinese American family who's door is yes, red. Balancing your ethnicity in a modern world is just part of the story, living sane in an insane world is another part and just rolling with the punches is another. Outragous black comedy that breaks all cliches about Asian families and roles in our society. Retirement is a subplot that many Baby Boomers can relate to. Funny, poignant and a bit maddening! Every character plays it to the hilt, and the deadpan script squeezes out some unbelievable dialogue that makes this a very special film. See it after an argument with your family. Or before you go home for a visit. Or when you break up with your fiance. Love and life goes on. Family is more than just relationships.

I highly enjoyed this movie. All the way through I was entertained by the story and involved in the lives of the characters. Unless there were some swear words I missed I have no idea why it got an R rating. There were a few sex scenes none of which showed much skin. I would cry 'double-standard,' but what's the use? Anyway, this movie is definitely worth your time.

I first stumbled upon this film awhile ago and I love rewatching it over and over again. This family, though dysfunctional, is loving--and quite hilarious. There is an undercurrent of something more, however, as you watch the movie--evidenced when the youngest daughter (Katie) didn't even quirk a brow when she walked in on her father about to attempt suicide. Each of them have a struggle and it's rather heartwarming to see them rise triumphant. This is no fairy tale but it definitely has a happy ending.

Synopsis: Have you ever wondered why the Chinese tend to have red front doors? It's because red is the color that attracts harmony and happiness to the occupants within, that's why. With that bit of information in mind the audience is now armed with a little insight into what lies ahead. The '06 cinematic release `Red Doors' is a gem of a film about a Chinese-American family that has lost their harmony, happiness and family connectedness despite the bright red front door and the porcelain Kwan Yin displayed in the dinning room. This familial unrest and discord is subtly and symbolically presented to the viewer at the beginning of the story as we see a seemingly happy family dinner coming to an end. As Samantha, the oldest of three daughters leaves the table she accidently bumps the Kwan Yin statue off a nearby cabinet. The shattering of the beloved and compassionate Goddess who also bestows "harmony and happiness" to those who honor her immediately informs us that things are not as they should be.

The problems within this quiet home have come to a head with the retirement of Ed (Tzi Ma), husband and father of the household. He has already lost the time and attention of his daughters that he so much enjoyed when they were young. Life doesn't stand still, things change and so has the mode of communication between Samantha (Jacqueline Kim), Julie (Elaine Kao) and Katie (Kathy Shao-Lin Lee). Now busy with their lives outside the house they've lost the close relationship they once had with their aging parents. Sadly, the only time Ed smiles is when he's alone watching old VHS tapes of the children. In his self-imposed silence Ed desperately seeks a way out. Numerous attempts at suicide have failed due to interruptions or ineptness however when he discovers that a large Buddhist monastery is nearby in leaves a cryptic goodbye note on his computer and disappears. As his wife and daughters deal with the situation and try to make sense of what's happened they slowly begin to look within to discern where their happiness lies and discover what they must do to make their hopes and dreams come true.

Critique: I absolutely love this film, it reminds me quite a bit of `The Joy Luck Club' and even more so `Eat Drink Man Woman' (Chinese with English subtitles). Everything is right on the money with this movie; production values, soundtrack, storyline and dialogue. As for the cast, well that's the best part. The chemistry between them makes you believe they're a real family. This is one I could watch over and over again!

Postscript: Have you pondered the reason why the title of the film is `Red Doors', not `Red Door', after all a house has only one front entrance doesn't it? Maybe I just enjoy over analyzing things but I think it's yet another subtle reminder that harmony and happiness comes from within. Each of us has our own metaphorical red door to discover. When we find it and open ourselves to its power all is right in the world.

That's what I wrote in some notes I took at the time I saw this in theatre a few months ago, on a double bill with the delightful "Linda Linda Linda". I was obviously not the only one left cold -- even though "Red Doors" was the promoted 'feature' film (by a protege of Martin Scorsese yet) it was sparsely attended compared to the enthusiastic audiences for "Linda". I thought "I must just not get it" so went back for a second viewing .. and still don't get the enthusiasm the other Amazon user reviewers show for this film. (During the local showing, the Boston Globe reviewer was lukewarm to "Red Doors", as is the Amazon editorial reviiewer. So I'm not the only grumpy gus.) It's telling that three months later, I have little visual memory of "Red Doors", while "Linda..." is fresh in my mind. (I'm writing this from those notes.)

Not that "Red Doors" is bad. It has high ambitions, and there is much well done on a scene-by-scene basis, but somehow the various plot threads just do not gel into a coherent whole. And though the crew and cast all seem like nice people, to be honest the acting (or is it the script forcing the performance?) is often strained and awkward.

While not a fully mature Hollywood type film, it also lacks the spark that distinguishes the best freshman efforts and independent films. It's too much as if it was written from a paint-by-numbers box. The plot, the various elements, are cartoonish, in broad exaggerated strokes. Dad isn't merely depressed, but suicidal, and not in a cute fake "Harold and Maude" sort of way -- the only reason his suicide attempts don't work is a combination of bad luck and a seeming lack of energy to carry them out. Med student (intern?) Julie's affair is not just with one of the numerous women in the health care setting, but with a glamorous and famous actress. (Plus, even on two viewings, it's not clear if this is her first experience with another woman -- there's no sense of context.) Sam's blonde bombshell of a trophy fiancee is just too handsome, politically correctly sweet, and lifeless. And so on.

I'd really rate this about 3.5*, but rounded down to counteract the (to me) overenthusiastic 5* reviews. It's not like this is the first or only Asian-American family drama (see the wonderful "Double Happiness" with Sandra Oh, for one of many instances) and deserves bonus points for its uniqueness. It tries very hard, and maybe that's the problem -- it just doesn't flow.

an ordinary chinese-american family presented in an extraordinary way. this is a must-see.