Have you ever woken up in a completely different life not remembering how you got there? Probably not. But, Pali Road gives us an idea of what that may be like. Starring Michelle Chen as Lily Zhang, Jackson Rathbone as Neil Lang, and Sung Kang as Mitch Kayne, Pali Road provides audiences with an interesting concept. One day, Lily Zhang is living her life as a doctor dating elementary school teacher, Neil Lang, when he proposes to her. Hesitant to say yes, the two end up in an argument and decide to go home. While driving, the two get into a near fatal car accident. The next scene shows Lily confused, waking up married to someone else, with a child, living in a home she’s never seen. Neil Lang or anything about him doesn’t exist. The audience is able to see Lily cope with her new life in a seemingly new world.
Overall, the movie was good. It provided great visuals and beautiful backdrops of Hawaii, the movie’s setting. The plot was something fresh. However, the movie began with a rather slow crawl. And though it did definitely have its high points it had equal amount of lagging points throughout the movie to get to the good bits. And although each actor did fine individually, there was a lack of chemistry and connection between actors throughout much of the film, making some scenes seem choppy.
Given all of that, I would definitely recommend the movie. Of course, don’t expect something of Oscar-caliber, but do expect to be positively entertained for an hour and a half.
You can catch the film on April 28th, the closing night of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, at 7:00 PM, at the Directors Guild of America.
Purchase Your Tickets Here
Liya Douglas
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