The Mao Game

This was a very underrated film that should have been picked up by an independent studio and released to the public. I was fortunate enough to see it at the Seattle Film Festival and I was blown away by the film. It was excellently written and directed by Joshua Miller and featured first-rate performances by Piper Laurie and Kirstie Alley. It offers a unique look at living in a celebrity family and coping with the lows of life even when it seems like you already have everything.

I'm wondering if this gem of a film will ever be released on video or dvd. I would definitely add it to my collection.

At first you notice how brilliant Piper Laurie is in her role as the Grandmother - on second viewing the one who stands out is Kirstie - though her screen time is not extensive she gives a powerful and understated performance of an uncaring and selfish mother - however upon further inspection you see that she has trained herself not to care - and still does. I have never seen Kirstie do this type of work. Cheers!

An exceptionally unusual film, THE MAO GAME restores faith in modern film making. In a world of Shreks and Matrixes, this low-budget feature delivers beautifully finely-woven performances (except for Kirstie Ally who is good but unfortunately can never quite shed her Pier One Imports persona), a shattering subtext and some of the most breathtaking and creative imagery I have EVER seen. The story, basically about three generations of Hollywood celebrity, is so delicately and thoughtfully told that it often belies it's master carton of torn relationships, lost souls and drug addiction. Peppered with some occasional light "hi-jinx" and a fabulous comic cameo by Susan Bernard, I highly enjoyed this film.

Joshua Miller's first attempt at directing is excellent! He made the film entertaining from beginning to end. I think Piper Laurie's work was oustanding! She made the character seem real. Kirstie Alley's performance was her best ever! She played her role so well it seemed effortless.

I could not believe the good reviews that I saw on IMDb for this movie. Everything about it is tired. Kirstie Alley and Diana Highland play transparent characters. This may be the result of weak acting, a weak script, or both, but finding anything in this movie worth connecting to is very difficult. The characters stumble through a mediocre story that attempts to pull on the audience's heart strings but the whole fiasco just fizzles under the flaccid plot. Don't be fooled by the "Indy" reputation that this film attempts to hide under. It is not indy, it is just cheap. The divorced female version of campy sci-fi. The inclusion of music made by a British swing band mirrors the contrived nature of this lukewarm soap opera. A must see for anyone with insomnia.