A wonderful reminder that adult life is never as difficult as puberty was.
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03/01/07
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The Motel (2006)
87
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:31
Fresh:27
Rotten:4
Average Rating:7/10
Theatrical Release:Jun 28, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: This quiet gem marks the directorial debut of Michael Kang, and was produced by Miguel Arteta (THE GOOD GIRL, CHUCK AND BUCK). Thirteen-year-old Ernest Chin (Jeffrey Chyau) is the first-generation... [More]
Starring: Jeffrey Chyau, Samantha Futerman, Sung Kang, Jade Wu
Director: Michael Kang
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Reviews for The Motel
A welcome addition to the "awkward adolescence" genre,
02/09/07
A most impressive feature film debut by writer/director Michael Kang who has crafted a compelling tale by examining rites of passage from a fresh perspective, namely, that of a Chinese-American adolescent.
01/25/07
The Motel gives the lie to all those mainstream teen sex comedies starring happy, horny gwailos .
11/17/06
Top CriticClick to read the article
11/11/06
Perhaps The Motel meanders a bit too much -- hard to do in a 76-minute film -- but it is an engaging little movie.
10/20/06
Top CriticEach of Ernest's interactions and epiphanies is pure, calculated movieland.
10/19/06
Kang and Chyau make for a great team, with Chyau able to give an honest performance that requires humiliation, but never disrespect.
09/21/06
As rundown as it is and as downbeat as its denizens are, only 76 minutes seems like too short a stay at "The Motel."
09/21/06
It's a modest triumph of unflattering realism, proving yet again that a camera, a few good actors, the right material and a sensitive director are all you need to illuminate any particular aspect of humanity.
09/01/06
It's pretty much a customary coming-of-age tale, though it is told with refreshing honesty and realism.
09/01/06
... suffers from rocky moments and an unsure eye, but [Kang's] sense of detail is rich with prickly contradictions and he resists tidying up the story.
08/31/06
There is honesty and integrity in the filmmaking and the performances, which make The Motel among the best character studies of the year.
08/31/06
Top Critic...specific and detailed enough to separate itself from the pack.
08/05/06
It's Kang's understanding of human nature -- not particularly profound, but true and sharp as a perfectly drawn arrow -- that makes this unpretentious production sing.
07/28/06
A well-worn coming-of-age tale enlivened by pungent detail and a sharp visual sense.
07/27/06
Top CriticEven if writer-director Michael Kang doesn’t exactly break new ground, he imbues his debut with a quiet, compelling inertia that mimics puberty’s rudderless drift, its burgeoning desire for something, anything, to change.
07/27/06
The third effort of Korean-American writer-director Michael Kang of New York brings attention to his unique demographic, but should have been a better made movie.
07/21/06
It's actually really touching in parts, as well as infuriating.
07/08/06
The film about of a teenage Chinese-American boy struggling with adolescent issues while working in his family's fleabag motel has the precise brevity of a well-crafted short story.
07/06/06
Top CriticLatest News for The Motel
June 29, 2006:
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