The Motel

Shot on a miniscule budget with a no-name cast, The Motel is yet another unpolished independent film that makes the most of limited resources. Marking the promising feature debut of Korean-American writer-director Michael Kang, it's a modest triumph of unflattering realism, proving yet again that with a camera, a few good actors, and the right material, a sensitive director can successfully illuminate some particular aspect of the human condition. In this case it's the hormonal cauldron of puberty, embodied by Ernest Chin (Jeffrey Chyau), a chubby 13-year-old who cleans rooms at a dingy motel run by his stern mother (Jade Wu), while also yearning for 15-year-old pal Christine (Samantha Futerman) when he's not leafing through porno magazines left behind by sleazy hourly-rate patrons such as Sam (Sung Kang), a downwardly mobile Korean-American whose boozy penchant for prostitutes attracts Ernest's curiosity. The ensuing "friendship" between Ernest and Sam won't last, of course, but the latter's surrogate-father influence is better than nothing for Ernest, who's muddling through a torrent of conflicting urges and emotions. A Sundance favorite (and like many festival hits, typically over-praised), The Motel offers little that is new, but its story is rendered with admirable honesty and well-earned compassion. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include a 22-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, a “Director's Picks” featurette with four scenes and commentary by director Michael Kang and costars Jeffrey Chyau and Sung Kang (4 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a small but solid extras package for an earnest if unexceptional coming-of-age film.] (J. Shannon)