Search - Mail Order Wife on DVD

Barbara C. from CAMERON, MO
Reviewed on 3/7/2010...

This is a fascinating film documentary. The three "stars" are not acting, but are giving us a view into their real lives. It's a poignant human tragedy. These three people have the most fundamental human need--the need to be loved. Yet the way they try to fulfill their desire is counterproductive. You just have to watch it to understand. I know that Adrian, Lichi, and Andrew are out there somewhere living out their lives and I sincerely wish them happiness.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

Sarah F. (Ferdy63) from DALTON, GA
Reviewed on 4/4/2009...

A mockumentary about a mail order bride except that the film maker becomes a bit too involved with his subject. An off the wall,darkly comic indie film. I can't really say I loved it because I'm still not exactly sure. I can say that it held my interest all the way through and it's totally original. It's definitely worth a try.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

A strong film

Mr. Richard K. Weems | Fair Lawn, NJ USA | 08/23/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie is a classic example of how a great movie is not made by star power or cgi effects, but by a solid premise and splendid execution.

_Mail Order Wife_ is a movie about Andrew, a young and arrogant filmmaker, who decides he'd like to make a documentary about Adrian, an NYC boy who has decided to order himself a mail order bride. An immediate problem is presented when Andrew helps pay for Lichi, the Burmese woman, and brings up a classic dilemma about moviemaking also addressed in great films like _Man Bits Dog_--Andrew is already showing signs of getting involved with his subject matter a little too subjectively. This is reinforced after Lichi arrives and Adrian turns out to be much less than an ideal husband, and Andrew decides that he needs to rescue this woman from an awful situation.

This may sound like the premise of a light, romantic comedy, or a hackneyed Lifetime made-for-TV, but what I revealed so far is only the first 30 minutes of this 90-minute film, because things don't move along so easily, and that's because these characters aren't easily categorizable, which is also a sign of strong filmmaking. Andrew has his own problems, with an inordinate sense of 'normalcy' and an arrogance streak that leaves him, in his own mind, justified in everything he does. Adrian, though a twisted man, is somehow charmingly simple. And Lichi isn't simply a quiet, victimized Asian girl, but one who has her own ulterior motives.

_Mail Order Wife_ is a comedy with dark undertones--there are wonderfully subtle moves, like how Andrew is always carrying his director's notebook even when involved in 'personal' conversations, and (you've seen it in the credits above) a surprising appearance by Jose Canseco, but these are also very troubling characters, played by unfamiliar actors to help make the mock-documentary motif seem all the more plausible. The movie takes many unpredictable and sensible turns, that makes 90 minutes feel like a satisfyingly large glimpse into these people's lives.

I would highly recommend this film to many, and I relish in the fact that such a small budget can result in such a wonderful endeavor.
"

Completely Original!!!

Robert Byrd | Minneapolis, MN United States | 08/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I picked this up in the previously viewed DVD rack at my local Blockbuster store. I don't really know what motivated me to buy it because to be quite frank I assumed it would be awful. But, to my amazement, it was quite the opposite!

This very quirkly, completely original work is full of unexpected twists and turns, sometimes bordering on unbearably offensive and other times hysterically funny. The storyline is so audacious that I often found my mouth hanging open in disbelief. I was totally engaged by the story and the offbeat characters, and I too thought I was watching a documentary until the closing credits revealed that it was a totally fictional experience.

I won't go into the plot of this offbeat wonder, but I will say that I highly recommend it. It will stay with you long after it's over."

Don't tell anyone this movie is not a real documentary when

JS | Syracuse, NY | 01/21/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I saw this movie flipping through the channels one day and it had me on the edge of my seat. I was disgusted by the bride, groom and then later at the guy who was making the documentary. Until the very end when I learned it was a mockumentary I still was in disbelief. I think this film was gutsy to make based in fiction, but the point of the film is that it is so easy to see this as a work of non-fiction in todays depraved world. I want to show everyone this film, but I will tell them all it is a documentary so they get the same impact that I got out of it! Why is it that films this unique never make the mainstream?

-unique as a movie, yet it describes something you can say is all too common."