Actually the first episode of an Asian-American TV series, “Our Late Father” takes a comedic approach to the whole concept of the Asian presence in the US.
“Our Late Father” review is part of the Submit Your Film Initiative
Jin Choi receives an invitation to Los Angeles from his estranged father who he barely remembers. Once he gets to the house in LA. he quickly notices that there are other members of the family that he never knew existed. Risa is a happy-go-lucky girl that is an Instagrammer, and immediately connects with Jin, who is a Youtuber himself, although their similarities cause a clash regarding bathroom use. Rock, on the other hand, could not be more different, with his black leather attire and dealing with rock music, setting him completely apart from his siblings. Lastly, there is also an eccentric grandmother who seems to embody all the elements of cultural appropriation in the most superlative fashion, with the dinner proving the fact in the most eloquent fashion. Eventually, Yujin, the father appears.
In this first, 11 minute episode, Sylvia Ray sets up the tone for what looks like a very intriguing story, with her sitcom approach working quite well in terms of the comedy the episode offers. The introduction of the characters here is quite funny, with her playing with a number of cliches, although the one regarding the “rock star” is somewhat distasteful. Her focus seems to be not only in the cultural clash of mixed-race individuals, but also of the various “tribes” the now inhabit the Western society as a whole. The grandmother seems to be the comedy relief character with her ignorant racist behavior, while it will be interesting to see how Yujin is, and how he will justify having three kids with three different women and abandoning them all. Lastly, he finale of the episode will definitely raise the interest for what is will be coming up next.
Silvia Lara's cinematography follows the rules of the TV, being rather bright and polished, and with the close ups in abundance. Jessica Liu's editing results in a fast pace that suits what seems to be an episodic narrative, while the sound also is part of the comedy here. eP Cho as Jin, Narisa Suzuki as Risa, and Brandon H.Lee as Rock present their characters with gusto, although the 11 minutes of the episode are not enough to judge their acting fully. Susan Gale Watts as Elizabeth however, seems to be a show stealer.
Although looking more like a web series, “Our Late Father” has some interesting elements, particularly regarding its characters, and the first episode will probably urge any viewer to give the series a chance.
