WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
It’s all just routine. The daily grind. The usual. Admit it–this really IS what most of us find ourselves immersed in every time the alarm goes off in the morning and it’s immediately off to do what we’re always used to doing. Whether it’s work or things to address around the house or simply running those ever-pesky errands, let’s face it, the pattern stays the same. However, what might occur when what we are so accustomed to suddenly gets a wrench thrown into it? NYC. The Big Apple. The hustle and bustle of the city is precisely what food delivery worker Lu (Limin Wang) takes on each and every day, dealing with all the hassles and general monotony that comes with it. But, when one evening outing brings about the theft of his invaluable e-bike, it turns his life into a deeply reflective exercise in the frustrations of life and dreams in America.
Next, my Mind:
Being an immigrant, finding one’s place, working hard for the dream of a better life, the basic struggle for survival, and the overall hardship that is America all get their fair share of screen time, albeit in abbreviated timeframes but with no less meaningful impact, through this 15-minute Oscar qualifying short film from writer/director/producer/editor Lloyd Lee Choi, producer Tony Yang, and executive producers David Richards, Kamila Prokop, and Jeff Chan. It becomes one of those efforts that, for me, reminds us of just how fortunate we are to live in a country that offers so many freedoms yet with it brings about the constant challenges of exactly how much we put into our striving for success, discover our individual paths, make a life that is fulfilling, yet also realize that sometimes the road to all of this can be paved in obstacles, failure, and everything else that will test our ultimate resolve and fortitude to persevere. The Land of Opportunity isn’t always so sparkling.
It is this latter concept forming the foundational premise of a narrative that sees an NYC food delivery laborer unexpectedly finding himself having a far less than stellar day when his primary means to do his job gets pilfered and the subsequent ramifications, consequences, harried decisions, and heartfelt contemplations the event triggers. Causing him to take a stark but honest, revealing look at what it is to be in America, it all turns into a study in dejection, desperation, strong self-assessment, and almost reaching a true breaking point, but yet in the midst of it somehow realizing when those instances come to dig deep, try to do what it takes to change the situation, and finally come HOME to what is MOST important–family and the provision for them that is the core heart beating within it all. It does also illustrate how often we tend to overthink our circumstances, even if blatantly harsh, and sink into melancholy or hopelessness before waking up and understanding things CAN get better IF we’re willing to keep pressing forward in spite of it all.
Additionally, while we might equally allow ourselves to fall into a habit of not taking our demanding or formidable situations seriously enough, burying the tediousness of trying to resolve them inside, bottling up the possible resentments and discouragement that accompany it, I give this film full measure of credit for the manner by which they choose to depict the solution and associated reconciliation that happens by its stirring finale, much less to put an unanticipated but fully apropos bite of humor into the mix that’s a perfect ode to the project’s title. It infuses a beautifully placed light of HOPE into the proceedings, and it befits the grander messages this critic felt were being explored, even if most of them were undoubtedly and intentionally weightier. When we look at the state of this country currently and all the real-life strife to just EXIST in so many ways as PEOPLE, this film should strike a necessary chord of relevance and resonance with us, perhaps even be one more wake-up call to take stock of how we face the trials in our lives.
Wang does such an excellent job here at conveying the pure, unadulterated emotional volatility of one man’s definitively imperfect night at work but does so with what I often refer to and wholeheartedly applaud as understated intensity through his role as Lu, a Chinese man just trying his level best to earn a living and provide for his family in the often-chaotic reality of NYC. When his most needed asset for his employment gets misappropriated during an evening shift, it sets into motion a series of choices Lu must make to try and rectify things while also being forced to confront just how perilous and delicate one’s position and success in America can be, and how quickly it could be taken away. How Lu manages this quandary is initially dismaying in the empathy we’re feeling towards him and his plight but then ends up morphing into a more heartening feeling as we see just how he ends up, even if still hesitantly, handling the entire state of affairs, and Wang’s performance just sails through this ever-shifting atmosphere with a wonderfully portrayed sense of fervency and relatability.
Supporting roles come about here through appearances by Mingjie Li as a restaurant owner Lu turns to in his time of need, Maggie Law as Ming, Lu’s wife and stalwart supporter, Anna Wang as Lu’s older mother who stays with him and Ming, Lei Han as Benny, Hung Mao Lin as a local loan shark, Al Dublinsky as a restaurant cook familiar with Lu, and Derek Wadolowski as a delivery patron none too happy with Lu’s service on the night in question. So, in total, “Same Old” is a statement about the things we might inadvertently take for granted, the inner conflicts we encounter when enduring unforeseen adversity, the means by which we try to overcome the odds, the always relevant value of family, and acknowledging the truth that while things don’t always work out and the resolution to reach a better place might be delayed or harder to believe in or discover than expected, never give up on the pursuit of life fulfillment and maintaining a firm grasp on the facets of it all that are most important. The rest will ideally take care of itself.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
