Search - Yellow on DVD

Energy and Creativity Outweigh Unevenness

David Kleist | 09/05/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With the three earlier Amazon reviewers, I first celebrate this film for its obscure but crackling subject matter: teenage Korean-American life in L.A.! Second, I celebrate the film's ambition and complexity: it tries to reveal a community of characters, not merely one or two; and the plot's many twists, combined with its many ironic/jarring scene transitions, compresses a lot of ideas and commentary into a short space.Do the parts combine into a congruent whole? No. The shocking plot twist of the film's final quarter sends the whole thing rollicking into melodrama/surrealism; and the same twist makes the ending psychologically, emotionally, and analytically unsatisfying.However, there is soooo much to like here: The fumbling "Fur Elise"; the adolescent-to-baby-sister commentary on the shrink-wrapped doll; the aunt's colloquial comment on the cost of her nephew's birthday present; the cupped-rice soliloquy; the ATM PIN number sequence; the beach; the "pappa san" scene in the restaurant; etc. This young writer/director has perhaps bitten off more than he can chew; but his intelligence and promise are truly exciting.I judge art by what it reveals to me about myself and about the world: good art provides unusual/unique flashes of reality and insight into the human condition. YELLOW reverberates throughout with these flashes. It is the work of a creative, intelligent, artistic young director whose potential is overwhelming. I can only hope that the Biz gives him many chances for future explorations of life, love, and culture-clash.By the way, the film is extremely funny/ironic throughout, and the musical soundtrack is marvellous."

Not Bad

Thomas Yan Ong | Azusa, CA | 08/05/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"After most of the reviews I've read, I didn't want to see this film anymore, but I was at Hollywood Video and I saw it there for rent. I watched it and I was pretty entertained. It was funny and I could relate to some of the characters in the film. I also liked the idea of an Asian dominated cast in an American film. I think it's worth checking this out. I think it deserves more credit than it's getting."