Barrier Device

This a very original short movie which tells the tale of a researcher (Sandra Oh) who, during a study on female condoms, has as her subject the girl (Suzy Nakamura) currently dating her former boyfriend. As the story develops, the relationship between the two unfolds.

The acting is pretty good and the movie (though a short) is able to develop an interesting plot. The director, Grace Lee, who also is credited for writing the story, did a very good job. The style of the movie is very compact, but it is able to establish a situation and take it to a conclusion within 30 minutes.

This award winning short movie is definitely a must see.

The premise of this UCLA student film is quite original. The wonderful Sandra Oh (HBO's "Arliss", "Dancing At The Blue Iguana") plays Audrey, a researcher who is gathering volunteers for a study on the barrier device, which is a female condom. She has to maintain distance with her subjects or the study will not be taken seriously due to charges of conflict of interest. Into her study walks Serena (Suzy Nakamura), an actress who innocently reveals that she has a definite connection with Audrey and through Serena, Audrey realizes she can learn a few things about herself. From there, Audrey has to walk a tightrope, does she pursue her connection with Serena or maintain the distance she needs for her study? From there, the film develops into a painful, funny and quite touching story of two Asian-American women. It is no wonder the film has won so many awards and been shown at over two dozen film festivals. Writer/Director Grace Lee has made both fiction and non-fiction films in the past and she appears to have a bright future behind the camera.

Sandra Oh is brilliant at playing all of the conflicted emotions of her character that are packed into this short film, making it a must watch if you're a fan of hers. Suzy Nakamura more than holds up her end too, and the story is so well constructed by Grace Lee that the 28 minutes flew by. Aside from the female contraceptive device there seem to be other barriers in this film, like the tension between strong, empowered women and the occasionally fragile male ego, or the difficulty of some women to have female friends. It's a gem of a short, and my only wish was that it had been fleshed out into a feature film.