By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Alan Yang
Starring: Christine Ko | Fiona Fu | Hong-Chi Lee | Joan Chen | Tzi Ma
Country: united_states
Year: 2020
Running time: 91
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8902948/reference
Michael says: “I encountered three instances in the past month, in movies, or books, where someone tells a child: “Never let them see you cry,” or some BS like that. It’s usually well-meaning, and sometimes even serves the character well in the moment, but in the long run, as Alan Yang’s TIGERTAIL eloquently shows, it’s not worth it. As a child, Pin-Jui was left in the care of his grandmother in a tiny village by the rice fields, after his father dies and his mother goest to work full-time in a factory. He is not registered with the Taiwanese government as living there, so when government officials come by, as they do, he is forced to hide in the cupboard. While his parents appear to him in visions in the field, it is his childhood friend Yuan, who makes life bearable. As he grows up into a young man, his relationship with Yuan evolves as well and the two fall in love. He has since moved to the city and lives and works with his mother, all the while dreaming of going to America, making a lot of money, and freeing his mother from the endless, tiring days of work so she can live in luxury. Pin-Jui’s opportunity to travel to America does come, in the form of his boss, but there’s a catch. He must bring the boss’ daughter along as his new wife. His dream is more powerful than his love for Yuan, and he agrees, only to find life in America is not as rosy as he thought it would be, and by the time he is in a position to bring his mother across the world to be with him, his marriage is in a shambles, and his mother just wants to stay in Taiwan where everything is familiar.
“Returning form his mother’s funeral, riding in the car with his adult daughter, Angela, he wonders how the two have grown so distant. His life has been filled with disappointments, and he fears his daughter is headed in the same direction, but he doesn’t have any idea what to do. His attempts to reach out to her are awkward and unsuccessful.It is only by reconciling his past and the regrets he has lived with for so long is Pin-Jui able to find a way to move forward with Angela. Understated, yet with an emotional pull, TIGERTAIL is a nuanced tale of the immigrant experience, and the important emotional bonds that family requires to flourish. Good performances all around, and a nice small appearance by Joan Chen, who I haven’t seen in a film for quite some time. 3 1/2 cats“