Boogie (2021)

By: Mike Ward on Monday, March 08

R Running Time: 89 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • Those familiar with Eddie Huang’s previous project, the underrated television series, “Fresh Off the Boat,” will be intrigued by his feature-film writing and directing debut.

  • Aims to be one of those rags-to-riches, overcoming obstacles sports story that audiences tend to embrace.

  • Some will find the rough-around-the-edges approach to the storytelling, filmmaking, and lead performances refreshing and appealing.

NO

  • Huang is a talented storyteller, but he lays the symbolism and messaging on real thick in Boogie.

  • The camera loves Taylor Takahashi, and he’s an intriguing on-screen presence, but this role seems too much for the debuting actor to carry on his shoulders.

  • If you are creating an inspiring or thoughtful story where someone attempts to overcome obstacles, it helps to make the character someone we want to root for.


OUR REVIEW

Boogie, the feature film debut of writer/director Eddie Huang (“Fresh Off the Boat”), is a well-intentioned jump shot of a film that careens off the side of the rim and fails to land. This impassioned story of a Chinese-American high school student seeing basketball as his pathway out of concussive struggle and an unhealthy home life is perhaps new from a representational lens, but fails to do much with its hard-scrabble, rags-to-riches storyline.

Huang, who famously denigrated and distanced himself from “Fresh Off the Boat” during its first season on the air, has ambition and a bold voice at his disposal. For his first film, Huang has a distinct vision for the story he wants to tell. He trusts that story with his former personal assistant, current model, and first-time actor Taylor Takahashi, who plays Alfred “Boogie” Chin, a high school senior stumbling around Brooklyn and largely left to his own devices.

Basketball is the one thing Boogie has convinced everyone he is good at. His mother (Priscilla Chin), alarmingly disparaging of her son and husband, nonetheless recognizes his talent and pushes hard to get him a scholarship to a top-flight university. His father (Perry Yung), just out of prison and on parole, has helped transfer him to an elite prep school to star on the basketball team and get scouting eyes on his son. Boogie becomes a pawn in his parents’ game, a victim of their own distrust of each other, as they are uniquely keen on exploiting his talents.

So there is no surprise I guess that Boogie is angry and a tough character to embrace. He’s cocky, carries a massive chip on his shoulder and Huang celebrates his brash, abusive nature as some combination of being a product of his own environment and just disaffected with the world.

This makes developing Boogie’s story as an underdog, rags-to-riches story a bit hard to celebrate. Huang uses a meek, understated presentation from cinematographer Brett Jutkiewicz as an impetus for the film’s message of overcoming obstacles. However, Boogie is a problematic dude. Not only is he a bit lost with his home life, but he has a lack of interest in school and is interested in mainly two things: Basketball and girls. One girl in particular, Eleanor (Taylour Paige), catches his eye and she endures some rather blatant sexual harassment from the smug 18-year-old new boy in town, before deciding that maybe Boogie isn’t so bad, perhaps a bit misunderstood, and begins hanging out with him.

Being crude is one thing. Objectifying women is another. Since most of these films show young people finding a love interest, there is something a bit inauthentic regarding Eleanor withstanding harassing, uncomfortable behavior, only to then shoot hoops with him and (naturally) fall in love with him. Huang wants us to overlook Boogie’s alarming behavior and it proves difficult to balance the hope that Boogie can rise above his trappings, while also overlooking his galling lack of common decency.

Predictable elements can be seen from a mile away. The inspirational English teacher. Boogie’s clashes with his new coach. And a rivalry with Monk (the late rapper Pop Smoke, in his only film appearance), a dominant street baller who seems to, at least symbolically, stand between Boogie achieving his dream of playing in the NBA one day.

Takahashi’s raw, unrefined acting ability works in ways both good and bad. There’s an authenticity to him that is undeniable. In scenes which require depth or a range of emotion though, he feels like a person trying to act and his natural instincts can only carry him so far. Huang doesn’t seem to know how to work around these limitations, almost believing that he can strap this weighty material on his friend’s shoulders and Takahashi can handle it, like a crossover dribble the 28-year-old actor mastered as a star on his Alameda High School basketball team a decade or so ago.

Uneven, prickly, and formulaic, Boogie wants to push back on expectations and have the best of all worlds. While Huang has a lot to say and get off his chest, the film’s message proves aimless, with an emotional core almost impossible to connect with.

CAST & CREW

Starring: Taylor Takahashi, Taylour Paige, Bashar Jackson (Pop Smoke), Pamelyn Chee, Perry Yung, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Mike Moh, Domenick Lombardozzi, Alexa Mareka, Eddie Huang

Director: Eddie Huang
Written by: Eddie Huang
Release Date: March 5, 2021
Focus Features