Expect a Different Kind of Happy Ending in 'Year of the Fish'

Maui Time | September 11, 2008
Year of the Fish

Year of the Fish is a tawdry tale about a Chinese immigrant girl sold into Manhattan massage parlor servitude. Although writer/director David Kaplan attempts to elevate his amateur narrative attempt with the same rotoscoping animation technique that Richard Linklater used to great effect with Waking Life and A Scanner Darkly, the effect comes across as overwrought. Inspired by the Cinderella fairytale Kaplan follows young Ye Xian (An Nguyen) as she enters New York's Chinatown world of happy-endings where she refuses to engage in polishing any knobs. The parlor's owner Mrs. Su (Tsai Chin) punishes Ye by making her responsible for cleaning every inch of the establishment. A hunchbacked witch adds a touch of magical realism by giving Ye a goldfish that will bring her good fortune. But the only good fortune audiences will find lies in skipping this sorry tale.

(Gigantic Pictures) Not Rated. 96 mins. (C-)

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Maui Time Weekly provides insightful analysis and in depth reporting. We believe some issues are so important they require thoughtful consideration. We are not a “paper of record”—a daily journal of government meetings, ribbon-cuttings and corporate announcements. We decide what’s...
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