Boogie – An Emotionally-Unfulfilling Drama (Early Review)

Boogie marks a series of firsts. It is the first film written and directed by Eddie Huang who is most notable for developing the popular TV series, Fresh Off the Boat, as well as being a world-famous chef. It is the first and only film role for rapper, Pop Smoke, and is the first major role for Taylor Takashi, who plays the titular role of Alfred “Boogie” Chin. And while these firsts should be commended, they also play a part in the film’s inability to truly explore the emotional depths that the film is based upon.

Boogie follows Boogie, a prominent high school basketball player whose dream, along with his family, is to receive a full basketball scholarship to college in the hopes of eventually playing in the NBA. Surrounding this goal is a tumultuous home life which consists of his father and mother who are always at odds with one another leading them to take different approaches towards Boogie’s success. Amongst this turmoil, is the unrelenting generational and cultural pressure from his parents to succeed in order to justify all of the sacrifices they have made on his behalf. Not to mention the constant stress of being the best on the basketball court. It’s with these themes that Huang shows potential as a writer/director as he uses his ability and experience in order to take very singular ingredients and create something that is highly accessible to an audience that might be unfamiliar with Chinese culture and yet this potential is never fully realized in part due to the very same cultural obstacles that Boogie is fighting to overcome.

This fact is most evident through the internalizing and compartmentalization of Boogie’s emotions when dealing with his family, team, or his girlfriend. Why it can be justified at times, its occurrence that never builds towards an emotional breakthrough can be highly frustrating as the audience is left guessing how Boogie feels in every situation rather than visually experiencing it through the character. Some of the stoic nature of Boogie can be placed on Takashi, who comes across as very reserved and timid in his role at times as if directed to act without flourish or self-interpretation. Admittedly this is learned over time but is further amplified when scenes are shared with other veteran actors in the film. Meanwhile, the cast surrounding Takashi is well-chosen. Paige as Boogie’s girlfriend Eleanor and Pamelyn Chee and Perry Yung as Boogie’s parents are all good actors and help carry the film’s more emotional moments so much so as many will find themselves wanting to spend more time with them than Boogie as their interactions with one another became increasingly more interesting.

This leads to the most disappointing aspect of Boogie which was its script. Huang does well familiarizing his audience with a world and culture that many might not know, but the dialogue between characters, most notably Takashi interacting with anyone else, is often wooden and underdeveloped. This is understandable up to a certain point, however, it severely limits its potential emotional impact as it could have used improvement in its pivotal moments. This is further exposed by a simplistic screenplay that seems to rush and confine certain scenes that needed more time to develop and breathe. The best example of this is experienced through several flashbacks involving Boogie’s parents. This was where the film was at its best not only because the parents were more interesting characters but also because it created a subtle perception of devotion starting with the first scene and permeating throughout the remainder of the film. It’s an unspoken understanding between the parents that no matter how fractured they are it is all for their son. It’s noble in theory but leads to treacherous moments from both sides with Boogie caught in the middle.

Ultimately, Boogie is a passable film. Its potential is on full display but its inability to seize the opportunity to explore cultural expectations, personal dreams, and the sacrifices that they demand all through the lens of a teenager at its epicenter becomes increasingly more frustrating as the film nears its conclusion. The film should be celebrated for its representation and unique and often untold perspective but it falls short in its bigger emotional moments.

In the end, Boogie is sure to leave some wanting more. While that often can be a good thing, in this case, it felt more due to a lack of resolution than anything else.

still courtesy of Focus Features

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