Asian Films
AXS ENTERTAINMENT / ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT / MOVIES
November 26, 2013
Rating:
“Give me your tired your weak and your poor”, is the saying that most immigrants hear when coming to America. The maintaining of one’s integrity and identity are the biggest challenges for anyone. This is especially true for those members of the society who are what is considered to be minority Americans. “Sake Bomb” is a hilarious new comedy of the “National Lampoon” kind with a wonderful fortune cookie message in the middle.
In “Sake Bomb” we see how difficult it is to be an individual in our ever-growing world culture. Most people are eager to ‘fit in” and drop all aspects of a former culture. In this case many years of family structure and ethics that help build strong genuine personalities are lost, making it difficult to express oneself as a genuine human being. “Sake Bomb” does an excellent job in showing it’s viewers how this evolution might reveal itself after several generations of being American.
Writer, Jeff Mizushima and director, Junya Sakino take us on a hilariously funny yet heart-warming and informative journey through the eyes of Naoto (Japanese Star, Gaku Hamada). Naoto, who lives in Japan, travels to the United States to visit his American cousin Sebastian (Eugene Kim). In Japan, Naoto has been promoted to CEO of the family business which is making the nations leading Sake. Naoto will now become a billionaire after being an employee of the firm for most of his life.
In Japanese tradition of advancement, as a respectful gesture to the promoted, it is customarily encouraged to take a major vacation before the new position begins. This respect for duty, adherence to tradition, and maintenance of personal responsibility is what Sebastian, our young American of Asian descent, will be confronted.
“Sake Bomb” reminds us the importance of holding fast to what we’re made of while being a diverse and equal American people. “Sake Bomb” great cast, great music, great fun. Now open.
“Sake Bomb” is filled with symbolic paraboles and funny stereotypical misnomers. Meeting his new cousin Naoto gives Sebastian a wonderful lesson in the value of his Japanese roots. There are some very touching scenes of realization expressed throughout this Hilariously funny man-quest of a story.
Rated R for language and comical adult sexual situations. Director: Junya Sakino
Writer: Jeff Mizushima (screenplay)
Stars: Gaku Hamada, Eugene Kim, Marlane Barnes
