American girl

Semi-autobiographical story of director Fiona Roan Feng-i, "American Girl" had 10 nominations at Golden Horse, getting awards for 5 (Cinematography, Audience Choice, Best New Director, Best New Performer, FIPRESCI) in one of the most successful movies of 2021, which eventually found its way to Netflix.

The story takes place during the 2002-2004 SARS outbreak. Fen Liang and her sister Ann have to return to Taiwan from the United States with their mother, Lily, after she is diagnosed with breast cancer, in order to seek help from her husband, Huay. The two girls, even though they speak Mandarin, find it quite hard to adapt to the new environment, particularly Fen, who had already successfully adapted to the previous change, becoming a straight A student in the US, and now has to change her ways once more, even though she is only 13. Their mother's medical treatment is quite harsh and takes a toll on her, and expectedly, on the family, while father Huay tries to balance all the issues, but also finds it quite hard.

Although not sure how many of the elements of the story are based on reality, Fiona Roan Feng-i definitely places her protagonists in a setting that can only be described as impossible. It is not just the moving to another country, which is always quite hard, and even more for kids, it is also the fact that four people have to learn to live together for the first time, while one of them has a potentially terminal disease in the middle of a pandemic. Expectedly, finding a balance in the midst of these situations is impossible, with Roan revolving her narrative and guiding her drama through them, in order to both analyze her characters and make her audience empathize with them.

Also of note are the differences between the two countries, as presented through two central systems, the health and the education one. And while the former seems to be much better, with Lily getting top notch care constantly without having to pay a fortune, the case is rather different in the latter. It is not only the bullying the two girls experience as outsiders, it is also the way the Taiwanese system is almost specifically grade-centric, with the students placed in an actual hierarchy solely based on their grades. Fen, who already has some issues with her Mandarin, experiences the whole thing in the harshest fashion, getting from the top in the US to the bottom in Taiwan, while her teacher does not miss a chance to belittle her, not to mention hit her, in a corporal punishment that seems quite common for the time the story takes place in.

At the same time, Fen, who wants to go back to the US, has no one to turn to in order to seek help for her problems, as her sick mother is also experiencing various stages of depression, and her father is just trying to keep the family afloat financially. That she also has to take care of her sister is essentially the last straw, with the way the whole pressure eventually leads to violence, both verbal and physical, being one the most impactful sequences in the whole movie.

At the same time, it is also the part of the story that finally provides a relief to all the piling pressure, essentially allowing Roan to give a positive message, that, despite their problems, families will always be there for each other. The comment is somewhat romanticized, but at the same time, provides a very satisfying closure to the story that also prevents the movie from concluding as a hardcore melodrama.

Also of note is the way Roan reconstructs the Taiwan of the era, with her presentation being both accurate and realistic, and the work done in the production design and the costumes being top notch. Giorgos Valsamis's cinematography captures the aforementioned through an approach that is both realistic and impressive, with his framing essentially being part of the narrative, and the coloring mirroring the overall mood of the movie. Zekun Mao's editing results in a mid-tempo that suits the overall aesthetics, while at 101 minutes, the movie does not overextend its welcome in any way.

The acting is also on a very high level. Caitlin Fang as Fen is exceptional in a rather hard role that has her being pinned down physically and psychologically almost constantly, and her delivering with a sense of measure that is usually found in much more experienced actors. Karena Kar-Yan Lam as Lily is also quite good in presenting her deteriorating mentality, while Kaiser Huang as Huay is convincing in both his kind and patient moments and in the ones he loses his temper.

Even if a bit excessive in its drama, "American Girl" is an exceptional movie that shows the difficulties of reverse diaspora in a rather realistic fashion, while carrying enough drama to deem the movie quite entertaining.

TL;DR: I cried the entire movie and am thankful for having the opportunity to see this film and the story it shared.

SHORT NOTE: The important parts of this movie for me were some of the smaller conversations. Some say that the film is slow, but I hope as a watcher you decide to notice the small details of these characters. The non-verbal communication is so crucial to this story. The slow pace is purposeful to draw out the emotions in each character.

Full review (contains examples but not spoilers of the film):

We may all try to step into the shoes of the protagonist and watch this story as if it were our own. Instead, I felt like these were my shoes being walked in by someone else. I do want to clarify that Fen's story is different from mine, but there is a lot of overlap and a deep connection to how everything is told. My own mother was always weak and sick ever since I can remember. We sometimes had discussions about her being ill and the "what-if" questions about death. I recall the fights my parents had about it, money, and more. I appreciate the ability of this film to show these perspectives. Even the feelings and emotions we regret having, the ones we try to ignore and forget. Fen does not shy from showing the honest and hurtful words that end up being used against your loved ones. The conversations these characters have are so accurate to the struggles of communicating during hard times. Each family member has their own legitimate concerns, but it feels like a war of who's in more pain. You can see it in their eyes, the sighs in their breath, and the attempts of them trying to say more.

Watching this movie, you get a third perspective on the family and their actions. Wishing that if they would all communicate more that everything would be better. Not the case. There is one scene in particular that sticks out to me. The scene of them entering a westernized diner to me is like a dream. Primarily because everything takes a pause. All their problems are left at the door before they enter this place. Fen gets to feel like she's back in the U. S. again, while, Ann gets the ice cream she has been longing for from Dairy Queen. Even the mother gets a small victory of being able to reconnect with her daughters. She lets her kids get anything on the menu, even though we're aware she doesn't have much to spend. We get to clearly see this mother is trying her best and would do anything for her children (that's within her power). Sadly, outside of this scene Fen believes her mother "can do better". But given the third perspective from Ting, she responds by asking "what if this is her best"?

As a kid, like Fen, I often found it difficult to still feel listened to when our problems were less that of our parents. However, our ignorance gets the best of us, and sadly and we hurt each other more than we need. This story felt personal to me and I appreciate the writers/directors and cast for telling such a good story in such an honest way.

This is a family drama that is realistic and relatable, at least for me. I resonated deeply with a lot of the main character's experiences - from the deep love-hate mother-daughter relationship and the bond between the sisters, to Fen Liang's stubbornness and intense emotionality. Watched it with my mum and she could "totally understand the feelings of the mother".

A couple of reviewers have noted that the film is quite slow but I feel like the pace, camera angles and scenery make it feel as if the audience is only spectating the real lives of the family, instead of being served some hyper saturated plot-driven story. I respect that it might not be everyone's cup of tea though. All in all, I thought it was a cinematic and greatly truthful film.

I loved the film scenery and background of this story, I felt deeply connected with the characters and understanded the emotions they were going through in each scene.

Very ordinary story that everyone would experience, yet no resonance would be generated with audiences due to the extreme annoying performances of the actress. Acting as a mom, the actress was being unrealistically emotional that would make audience wonder if she is acting an psychotic patient as well.

Simple and common plot + slow pace story telling style by director + insensible performance by actress = surely not worth your time.