Scenes from the New World

By DAVID ROONEY

Read other reviews about this film

Powered By

An RKGM production, in association with Filmhaus, Austria. (International sales: RKGM, N.Y.) Produced by Karol Martesko, Gordon Eriksen, Heather Johnston. Executive producer, Ronald Guttman. Directed, written by Eriksen, Johnston.
 
Myles ... Michael Ralph
Stephanie ... Christine Clementson
Alex ... David Chan
Lee ... Paula D. Ralph
Mirabel ... Lidia Ramirez
Billy ... Michael Imperioli
Wing ... Stephen Xavier Lee
Nicky ... Grant Chang
Bob ... Alvin Eng
Organa ... Organa Della Eve
Mrs. Thatcher ... Laurie Cohen
Old man ... Jimmy Leong
 

Aiming to redress the balance after Hollywood's rash of all-white my-generation comedies, tandem directors Gordon Eriksen and Heather Johnston ("The Big Dis") have concocted a multicultural variation on the theme in "Scenes From the New World." But inept scripting makes their PC pretext little more than a strained infomercial for interracial good-neighborliness, played out by an ensemble cast that finds unison only in its self-conscious, sitcom-style mugging. These scenes look destined to remain unseen.

Container for the racially mixed bag is a house in suburban Queens owned by an old Chinese businessman (Jimmy Leong) intenton keeping up cultural barriers. But grandson Alex (David Chan), who lives there, and his Latino girlfriend (Lidia Ramirez) have other ideas.

They recruit their own tenants, starting with African-American Myles (Michael Ralph), who wants to stay footloose while awaiting a transfer to Europe. The designs of man-hunting roommate Stephanie (Christine Clementson) cut in on his plans, and the unexpected arrival of his kid sister, Lee (Paula D. Ralph), creates an additional glitch. Grandpa stirs up further trouble by renting space to a trio of Hong Kong students.

Tension inside the house and out gets fired up rather mechanically to fever pitch, with contributions coming from a gang of white slackers and a nosy, condescending neighbor. A sympathetic lesbian couple still clinging to '60s ideals complete the already crowded picture.

Attempts to ruminate on issues of commitment, trust and, above all, race are unsupported in lighter moments by comic mistiming and wooden delivery, and at more earnest junctures by a script that lumbers straight in with its labored points rather than paving the way for them with motivation or credible buildup.

Ultimately, the casting conceit has no more depth (and considerably less entertainment value) than the gaggle of ethnic extractions among the crew members on vintage "Star Trek."

Technical input is several notches above the film's creative side, but not so high as to make it of interest to anyone outside cast and crew.

Camera (color), Armando Basulto; editors, Tim Squyres, Eriksen, Johnston; music, Tony Silbert, Laurie Fitzgerald; art direction, Jana Cisar, Manuela Strihavka; sound, Neil Danziger; associate producers, Wolfgang Ramml, Gernot Schaffler; assistant director, Wendy Jo Cohen. Reviewed at San Sebastian Film Festival (competing), Sept. 21, 1994. (Also in Hamptons fest.) Running time:104 MIN.