How far would you go to protect the welfare and well-being of a loved one? Are there any bounds in this, or is it something driven by the care and concern we hold for the individual we're looking to support, something that knows no limitation, even if it involves violating legal, social and ethical standards? On top of all that, when circumstances reach a critical level, can we bring ourselves to follow through on our intentions? Those are among the hard questions raised in this fact-based drama about a terminally ill single mother, Irene (Lucy Liu), struggling to attend to the needs of her 17-year-old schizophrenic son, Joe (Lawrence Shou), a kind-hearted young man whose condition, unfortunately, is steadily worsening, causing him to become increasingly unpredictable and a genuine danger to himself (and possibly others). The situation is compounded by Irene's own deteriorating health, an aggressive form of cancer that has spread and is not responding to treatment. What's more, in addition to Irene's rapidly dwindling life expectancy, she faces another impending deadline - the approach of Joe's 18th birthday, a time when her ability to have much of a say over his care and treatment will largely lapse, essentially leaving him without a safety net. And, as the only child of Taiwanese immigrant parents - one of whom is already deceased and another who doesn't have long to live - Joe faces an uncertain future, particularly since he's largely unaware of what he's up against and fundamentally incapable of effectively caring for himself. Faced with circumstances like this, what are mother and son to do? Writer-director Eric Lin has chosen an exceedingly heady subject to address in his debut feature, one that often makes for a difficult, heart-wrenching watch, one made all the more gripping by the superb performances of Liu (who delivers some of her best on-screen work here) and newcomer Shou in his debut feature performance. While the film has a slight tendency to drag in the closing act, it nevertheless manages to sustain the tense, stressful conditions with which the protagonists are struggling. Because of that, some viewers might find this release somewhat overpoweringly intense at times, especially once Irene's "solution" to her dilemma becomes clear. But it's important to remember that she's contemplating actions sincerely borne out of love, no matter how unconventional they might seem to many of us. "Rosemead: might not always come across as a perfect offering, but it does represent a fine first effort, one that certainly bodes well for the filmmaker's future.
