Asian Film Festival: "The Mikado Project"

There have been an almost uncountable number of films about movies and stage productions being made: it seems that there's an endless fascination within the performing arts communities with the tiniest little details of how a production is put together, and weaving stories around that. Those who aren't into the performing arts quite so much as... oh, say, me... might not find this the most interesting subject for a film, but more often than not I've been fascinated by the subject. The Asian Film Festival, currently screening at the St. Anthony Main theatre in Minneapolis through the courtesy of Minnesota Film Arts, brings us one such title with "The Mikado Project", and while it's not the greatest the genre has ever seen, it is a fun, entertaining and amusing look at the difficulty of being creative and original while at the same time attracting an audience.

Angry Buddah Productions is a small, struggling theatre company specializing in socially significant "protest theatre" aimed at the Asian American audience, with such titles as "To Nunchuck A Mockingbird" and "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woo?", and Lance Liu, former actor and now theatre manager, is looking for the production that will finally give them their long-needed box office hit and at last save them from having to disband. He thinks he might have found it in a controversial production of Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Mikado"... controversial because many Asian audiences have long considered it racist, and because of the unorthodox approach to the material he plans to take. But will commercial pressures force Liu and his company to compromise and "give the people what they want" in order to survive?

"The Mikado Project" is an extremely low-budget film, and it often shows. Shot on video and unlike many video projects NOT transferred to film, it almost has the look of a home movie... and some of the technical problems as well, as in the strange greenish tint in a number of scenes (I can fairly certainly say this wasn't meant to be symbolic of anything). But for the most part the script is filled with a snappy, sarcastic wit and some subtle but unmistakable insights into the theatre community and into Asian American culture. And the cast (all total unknowns to me other than Tamlyn Tomita of "The Joy Luck Club") is so full of energy and enthusiasm (much like the characters they're playing are for their risky project) that the technical deficiencies are comparatively minor considerations.

First and foremost, it's a very funny movie. All the chaos that you'd expect to result from a series of clashing egos who want to shine more than anyone else in the cast is milked for the maximum amount of laughs, and whether YOU think it's humorous or not, I personally laughed at lines like Liu's comment about all the towns and characters in the operetta that have "poo" as part of their name ("You have to let go of the poo... see beyond the poo") (okay, maybe I'm just more immature than I thought). The characters are each interesting enough to have been the principal star of the film in their own right: the older woman who's a former star and now has to settle for playing a "mom" role in the play; the egotistical actor who's not nearly as big a name as he thinks he is; the hip-hop dude who insists he has to rap all of his songs; the lead actress who has to be argued into accepting the role not only because of her feelings about the show's racism but because of a traumatic experience she had in a childhood performance of the operetta. And the film makers never lose opportunities to slip in some pointed commentary about Asian American culture, how it differs from purely Asian culture, and the obstacles Asian Americans face in the arts and elsewhere.

Of course, there are also a few negatives aside from the technical difficulties. One of the moldiest cliches in movies about performing artists (be they theatre people, dancers, or whatever else) is the scene where someone is about to give up and some other character gives them the big, intense, motivational speech. This movie isn't so exceptional that it avoids that: you pretty much KNOW that when Liu begins a speech to his cast about not having the stamina to carry on any more, that the lighting technician who's been sitting on the sidelines for most of the movie will stand up, walk into the spotlight and do the old "How could you even think of such a thing?" routine, then walk off the stage. And is there some significance to the fact that this is practically the only white character in the movie? Not quite ALL of the cast members are playing really original characters, either... while the enthusiastic newbie dancer is thoroughly likable as a character, did she HAVE to be an anorexic on the edge of doing damage to herself as a result? (It just seems needlessly melodramatic.)

With all of that said, though, I walked out of "The Mikado Project" with a smile on my face, having been thoroughly entertained by a bunch of funny, likable characters and a definitely above average script. A friend who saw an earlier screening of this film advised me before I went in that it was the weakest film they'd seen at the festival. I can understand that it probably doesn't have the "weight" and "substance" of some of the more serious, big time productions, but I don't see anything wrong with being a "light" piece of comedy (and commentary) when it's done with as much enthusiasm and sense of humor as this one. It's not scheduled to play the festival any more times, and I don't know if it will be returning afterward for more screenings. But if it does, and you're in the mood for something that will make you just plain laugh and feel good, "The Mikado Project" hits the spot.