Charlotte Sometimes

I just saw this film on Sundance channel (TV). I thought it was an enjoyable film, the main character is a passive intellectual but I've known people like him and he rings true to this time (around 2002). The dialog is very believable, many things that are said aren't true, though the characters might want to believe they are.

These characters seem to be L.A. "slackers", though at least we see the main character at work upon occasion. He doesn't seem to take it very seriously, and his garage is the most laid back garage I've ever seen. The two girls seem to do little but travel and have sex. Would this story make more sense if it was set in Hawaii as opposed to Los Angeles? Perhaps.

Its a languid film but I think I learned something real from watching it. 7 out of 10.

Oft-remarkable, the lone flaw here is its' energy level - with very impressive performances, and through great use of shadows and silences, CHARLOTTE SOMETIMES often generates an unforgettable tension, but this isn't sustained effectively 100% of the time. Aside from this complaint, this is a fantastic film - subtle in its' story, the characters reveal themselves slowly, and come across as real people, with some very real dysfunctions. Eric Byler's direction is careful, measured and free of gimmicks; and the story is notable as a story with an Asian-American cast that isn't about ethnicity, but instead zeroes in on general human dilemmas. A striking and strong debut (and a GREAT model for non-white American filmmakers), this film is worth seeking out.

There is a genre that has been meditated on by masters like Rohmer, who shows us cruelty; Truffaut and Nichols, who show us charm and wit; Wong Kar Wai, who injects energy and boldness; Rafelson, who reveals the scars and dirt under the nails of his characters... Eric Byler has not only arrived at their level with Charlotte Sometimes, but has defined an entirely new standard for cinema using an Asian American palette and a fascinating directing style. Byler's tiny moves project microscopic human emotions involving love and pain that scream off the screen. This is an art piece that, given the respect it deserves, could revive a new wave of consciousness in terms of the way American cinema treats human interaction (on a level so close to reality that it frightens us). This film is also another push AGAINST a gate that constrains Asian American cinema to concentrate on it's Asian-ness, rather than its Human-ness. Please watch this important film.

Not for those with short attention spans, this movie builds its characters slowly and methodically, with attention to telling visual detail and realistic dialog. Nevertheless, it's a very sexy movie, though not in a lurid sense. Even its most melodramatic elements are so well-grounded that nothing comes off gimmicky or cheap, and its shot-on-video photography is utilized intelligently and intuitively, with a surprisingly broad pallet of colors and textures. With such an overall understated tone, it's easy, on first viewing, to not notice the movie's technical suppleness. Forget the ethnic makeup of its cast, or its low-budget market niche. This is a masterpiece of character study and adept film-making.

I don't think this is a film unique to Asians, it just so happened that the characters are Asian. There are hues of cultural family/generational expectations, like the scenes of Michael and his aunt. The dinner table scene somehow reminds me of writer-director Mina Shum's 1994 "Double Happiness," which included Chinese-Canadian family dinner scenes with Sandra Oh in the lead; also brings to mind director Wayne Wang's 1985 "Dim Sum: A Little Bit of Heart."

Overall, I felt there are similarities in filmmaking style between Lynne Ramsay's "Morvern Callar" and Eric Byler's "Charlotte Sometimes" - the value of quiet moments, sparse dialog scenes, minimal lighting and silhouette shots; depiction of lonely feelings, alone-ness all by her/himself; loving yet not openly/readily showing so…secrets, pains, longings kept within. The storytelling approach is resonant of each other: not revealing it all to the audience, yet using music - here Byler has included songs by Cody ChestnuTT, to set the pace and tempo of the film. The presentation of relationship psyche is mature - the brief exchanges come across natural and of everyday ease. Yet, yes, it does feel like a thriller, emotion-wise. It's a tug of war. There is sexual tension. The sex in bed scenes - may be as sexy and suggestive as cable late nights, but it's not pornographic. Its camerawork integrally delivers with the soundwork - the grunts and noise of lovemaking are not forced but can be tantalizing.

Secrets and lies - yes there are: the relationship between Michael the quiet mechanic who reads (also the landlord) upstairs and Lori the pretty actress neighbor & friend downstairs; the relationship of Lori and Justin (her bed fellow and live-in boyfriend); the ménage à trois between Michael, Lori and Justin; the relationship of Michael and Darcy the stranger; the relationship between the two women - Lori and Darcy (or Charlotte sometimes); the other triangle of Michael, Darcy and Lori, and not to miss the Darcy and Justin moments. On the surface, simple and quiet as Michael would have it (seemingly so) - there are a lot goings on what lies beneath.

"Charlotte Sometimes" may not be for everyone (NFE), but it's definitely a formidable mature feature film first from w-d, co-editor, and co-producer, Eric Byler. Bravo to him and the actors and crew of this film, and to VisionBox Pictures for taking on the distribution.

For contrast, try w-d James F. Robinson's 1998 romantic fantasy: "Still Breathing" with Brendan Fraser and Joanna Going. There's also w-d Alan Jacob's 1994 down to earth fairytale of a relationship: "Nina Takes a Lover" with Laura San Giacomo and Paul Rhys. Both I've comments posted on IMDb.