RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Americanese
Americanese

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Showtimes & Tickets
  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Americanese (2006)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
67 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:9

Fresh:6

Rotten:3

Average Rating:6.2/10

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Raymond Ding is not young. He's been married before. He is the only Asian man Aurora Crane has ever kissed... and, she fears, the only man she has ever loved. Three months ago, she told him she was... Raymond Ding is not young. He's been married before. He is the only Asian man Aurora Crane has ever kissed... and, she fears, the only man she has ever loved. Three months ago, she told him she was moving out of the apartment they shared for two years. He quietly left instead. Although Aurora is Hapa (half Asian), she moves most comfortably in the white world. So it's back to the familiar as she quickly tumbles into a new romantic involvement -- this time with someone her own age, someone white, someone she could bring home to meet the folks. If only she could do something about her dreams.... Raymond and Aurora still dream about each other -- sensually haunting dreams that inspire longing in their waking hours, and the fear of mishandled fate. Each night Aurora alters or removes something in the apartment in an attempt to purge Raymond from her psyche. The furniture is re-arranged on a weekly basis. And then there are the photographs and keepsakes, emotional heavyweights, finding their slow way into a box in the bedroom closet. Raymond is the only witness to this process. He visits the apartment when he knows Aurora is not home. He reads the newspaper, eats his lunch, then checks for any subtle changes. He is careful not to leave a trace, but Aurora sometimes senses his unseen presence. She knows he still has the key. Aurora travels home to the Midwest and discovers for the first time her beloved father's subtle racism, even as she considers a future with her "perfect" boyfriend, Steve. Raymond finds himself suddenly in love with a beautiful and somber Vietnamese American woman, Betty. Raymond's widowed father, Wood, plans a trip to China to find a picture bride because he doesn't want to grow old alone. Aurora's friend Brenda rejects Asian men as lovers, seeking refuge in a series of unfufilling sexual liasons with non-Asian men. Raymond's friend Jimmy cheats on his wife with a white woman half his age. And Raymond and Aurora meet "for the last time" several times. Set in modern-day San Francisco, American Knees is a penetrating anti-romance, filled with lush, dreamlike imagery and sharply realized emotions. It tells this story of two lovers perhaps meant to be together, bewildered as they hopelessly drift apart. Director Eric Byler's celebrated eye for the cinematic invites the audience to unravel, in flashbacks, in private ruminations, and in infrequent encounters, the mystery of an Asian American love story. The meaning of Raymond and Aurora's love, and the truth behind their breakup, are revealed in its aftermath -- just as scientists learn about the birth of the universe by studying the reverberation of its echo. [More]

Starring: Chris Tashima, Allison Sie, Joan Chen, Kelly Hu

Starring: Chris Tashima, Allison Sie, Joan Chen, Kelly Hu, Sab Shimono, Ben Shenkman, Michael Paul Chan

Director: Eric Byler

Director: Eric Byler

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "SAVE" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Americanese

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 9 (sorted by date)
Text View
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

It's not the glacial pace that fatigues, but a lack of connection with the characters.

Full Review Source: Film Freak Central | comment Comment
11/30/06
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

Byler doesn't rush his storytelling; this is a deliberately paced, thoughtful meditation on racial issues and relationships ...

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
08/24/06
Kim Voynar
Kim Voynar
Cinematical

I'm convinced that Byler is a talent to watch.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/30/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Fine, understated performances and the self-assured way that Byler lets the film find its own rhythms, rather than setting into some template, result in a mature film of subtle complexity.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
05/30/06
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A collection of scenes in search of a coherent story, the film's characters don't develop, and plot lines fail to coalesce by the movie's conclusion.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
04/26/06
Sura Wood
Sura Wood
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

You don't have to be Asian-American to understand the universal longing for love and self-acceptance.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
04/09/06
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

[Director Eric] Byler deals with characters who have lived their years, learned from them, and try to apply their values to their lives. Their romances are not heedless but wary, and involve a lot of negotiation.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
03/30/06
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This diverting, occasionally wry seriocomedy ultimately doesn't add up to a satisfying whole.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/28/06
Dennis Harvey
Dennis Harvey
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Byler was just warming up with Charlotte Sometimes and somewhere deep down not only gets people - but how filmmaking can translate to those who don't.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/20/06
Erik Childress
Erik Childress
eFilmCritic.com
 
 
1 - 9 (sorted by date)
Text View
all

Latest News for Americanese

March 24, 2006: SXSW: "Americanese," "Jam" Reviews
Here are some short reviews of "Americanese" and "Jam," two of South by Southwest's award-winning films. More...

March 16, 2006: SXSW Fest Winners Announced!
With the cinema section winding down and the musical segment ramping up, this year's South By Southwest Festival is officially in full swing! Although the flicks will keep... More...

See All

More Movies

Close
Coming Soon
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

More…

75% 75% The Road 11/25
— Old Dogs 11/25
— Ninja Assassin 11/25
— Princess and the Frog 11/25
67% 67% Me and Orson Welles 11/25
See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

Avatar

Avatar

Watch an exclusive behind-the-scenes video!

Friday Harvest

Friday Harvest

This week's best pics, posters, and videos!

RT's Gift Guide

RT's Gift Guide

Give the best movies, gear, and more!

What to Watch?

What to Watch?

Read our Holiday Movie Preview!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
58
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
110
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
62
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
  • McTeigue Says Superman Is "In a Weird Place" Source: MTV
204
  • Rachel McAdams Debunks Spider-Man 4 Rumor Source: Entertainment Weekly
117
  • Avatar: Gambling on Film's Future Source: Los Angeles Times
128
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
120
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
96
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
67
  • Five Favorite Films with Werner Herzog
49
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Star Trek, Bruno, and Cheaper Sopranos
32
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
29
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
27
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
8
  • Ho, ho, ho! It's RT's Great Big Gift Guide!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
8
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
16
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
  • Emma Stone talks Zombieland - RT Interview
41
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Americanese at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
Star Trek DVD Exclusive
Star Trek DVD Exclusive External Link

TECHLAND gives us a first look at the extras, including Leonard Nimoy's last day on set!

The New Cult Canon
The New Cult Canon External Link

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

New Moon Portraits
New Moon Portraits External Link

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Unsexiest Men Alive
Unsexiest Men Alive External Link

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.