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Catfish in Black Bean Sauce, 2000, 119 minutes, Rated PG-13
By Carla Robinson
Catfish in Black Bean Sauce is an unconventional dramatic comedy about a
Vietnamese-American brother and sister raised by an African-American couple. After 22
years, the siblings’ estranged birthmother enters their lives, raising issues of
familial loyalty and cultural identification. What follows is a refreshing and heartfelt
film that offers genuine emotion, a true delight.
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Catfish is the first feature by Chi Muoi
Lo, an Asian-American actor/writer/director who financed his film by convincing family
members to mortgage their homes. Lo casts himself in the lead role, as likeable but
conflicted Dwayne. Dwayne’s loyalty lies with his adoptive parents, Harold and
Delores Williams (charmingly acted by veterans Paul Winfield and Mary Alice). He’s at
odds with his older sister, Mai (Joy Luck Club’s Lauren Tom), who provides the means
for their birthmother to join them in the States.
The reunion triggers events that reopen old wounds and
stir bitter resentments. The siblings’ mother, played by Kieu Chinh (regarded as the
Vietnamese Meryl Streep), sets out to force Dwayne to show her love, while rejecting Mai,
who reaches out to her repeatedly. Dwayne finds himself caught in a whirlwind. He must try
to assuage Delores’ fear of displacement, deal with his own sense of abandonment and
decide on a future with his girlfriend, Nina (Sanaa Lathan in a solid early turn).
Resolution comes like a bolt of lightening when a hilarious melee takes place.
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© 2000 Black Hawk Entertainment
The cast of Catfish |
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Blessed with stellar performances, juicy subtexts and a funny, moving story that charts
new territory, Catfish in Blackbean Sauce is a cinematic treat.
M
December 2000
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