New movie displays original view of Asian American films

Justin Lin's "Better Luck Tomorrow," which opened nationally at almost 400 theaters last weekend, is a tale of drugs, sex and violence. But it's not exactly the kind of movie you've seen before. It's not your average tale of good kids gone bad.

The first twist is that the film stars Asian-Americans, mostly unknowns that were willing to work on an independent film for little to no pay.

The second is that "Better Luck Tomorrow" isn't about the stereotypical Asian gangsters often pitted against the likes of action stars like Jet Li or Chow Yun Fat. The cast play high school overachievers, simply bored with middle to upper class suburban life. Their boredom leads to a downward spiral involving drinking, cheating, gambling and even murder.

BLT Director Justin Lin projected his imagination on a film with an initial budget of $250,000, gathered from credit cards, family and friends and even celebrity supporters like MC Hammer. In its first ever film acquisition, MTV Films eventually acquired "Better Luck Tomorrow" after it debuted at Sundance.

The hesitation felt by most production companies was that BLT wouldn't have wide appeal beyond the Asian American community. But as its producers have said, BLT is not really a film about Asian Americans.

It's a film about overachieving high school students in Southern California, who take a bold step forward in breaking the ennui that comes with academic and extracurricular success.

Daric, played by Roger Fan, is the hyperbolized role model for those pursuing acceptance into a top tier university, namely those in the Ivy Leaue. He's captain of the Mock Trial team, leader of Academic Decathlon, and varsity tennis player.

Where the familiarity ends is where Decathlon practice degrades into wild high school parties filled with tequila shots, drunken banter and blaring music. We begin to step into uncharted territory, when the oft-awkward overachievers become ringleaders for cheating scams, credit card fraud, and grand theft.

The setting is ironic, suburban America. Nice homes. Nice cars. Nice clothes. Yet, there is no satisfaction with modern materialism in this world. Cocaine, handguns and any other symbol of rebellion are the only sources of redemption for the good kids gone bad. There are no parents in this world.

As long as the grades are good enough for the Ivy League, none of these kids need worry about their parents. Their freedom comes from their own success, which drives them to their downfall.

Of course, the downward spiral has to end sometime. And it ends with a dark but provocative move to an end, evocative of how "American Beauty" met tragedy with the beginnings of peace. Justin Lin almost didn't get the chance to finish this movie, but luckily MTV stepped in after its acquisition, and allowed Lin to revamp his final sequence to satisfaction.

"Better Luck Tomorrow" is an accomplishment, not because it's a breakthrough film for Asian Americans (though in every respect, it is), but rather because it takes its audience into a world they haven't seen before. It's a balance of dark comedy and provocative suspense, pushing the limits set by our own preconceived notions.