Last week, I went to see an indie film called Children of Invention.

The movie was really entertaining – it made me sad, it made me laugh, it made me think.

It was especially meaningful because the two main stars were an 8-year-old Chinese girl and a 10-year-old Chinese boy.

The movie is about a Chinese immigrant Mom, a single Mom, who is struggling to provide for her family. She gets sucked into a Ponzi scheme and ends up getting herself arrested by police.

Her two kids, waiting for her at home, have no idea what’s happened to her and they’re left to fend for themselves.

Cute. Adorable. Makes you want to pop out Asian babies.

But besides all that, it was a very real, very honest story about the dangerous schemes that can ruin the lives of desperate immigrant families. We probably all know at least one person who has signed up for such an unstable business model. When you’re at the end of your rope, such a venture, commonly called a pyramid scheme, can seem like a way out.

The movie’s written and directed by a 29-year-old Chinese American named Tze Chun. (Graduated with a Film Studies degree from Columbia, according to Wikipedia.)

At the screening I went to in Greenwich Village, Chun said the movie’s plot was inspired by his own memories of his mother signing up for various pyramid schemes to make money for the family.

Go see Children of Invention:

NEW YORK - Opens Fri, 3/12
MAR 12-18, 2010
Big Cinemas Manhattan – 239 E 59th St (bt 2nd/3rd Aves), New York, NY
Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, R, W to 59th St/Lexington Ave
(212) 371-6682
SHOWTIMES:
Fri-Sun @ 12:30, 4:30, 8:15
Mon-Thu @ 1, 5, 9

LOS ANGELES – Opens Fri, 3/12
MAR 12-18, 2010
Downtown Independent – 251 S. Main St (bt E 2nd/E 3rd Sts), L.A., CA
(213) 617-1033
SHOWTIMES:
Fri @ 4:30, 6:15, 8, 9:45
Sat @ 4:30, 6:15, 8
Sun @ 4:30, 8
Mon @ 6:15, 8
Tue @ 4:30, 6:15, 9:45
Wed @ 4:30, 6:15, 8, 9:45
Thu @ 4:30, 6:15, 8, 9:45

BERGENFIELD, NJ – Opens Fri, 4/9
APR 9-15, 2010
Clearview Bergenfield Cinema 5 – 58 South Washington Ave, Bergenfield, NJ 07621
(201) 385-1600
Showtimes TBA

VANCOUVER – Opens Fri, 4/23
APR 23-29, 2010
Vancity Theatre - Vancouver International Film Centre, 1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver BC, Canada
(604) 685-0260
Showtimes TBA

OTHER SCREENINGS & EVENTS

Chicago Asian American Showcase

Apr 2-15, 2010 | Chicago, IL
Wed, 4/7, 6:00pm @ Gene Siskel Film Center

Arab American National Museum
Apr 8, 2010 | Dearborn, MI
Thu, 4/8, 6:30pm @ AANM, 13624 Michigan Ave

Toronto Reel World Film Festival
Apr 7-11, 2010 | Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TBD @ Canada Square Cinemas, 2190 – 2200 Yonge St

Wisconsin Film Festival
Apr 15-18, 2010 | Madison, WI
TBD @ University of Wisconsin, Madison

UC Davis Asian American Association Film Festival
May 4-14, 2010 | Davis, CA
TBD @ UC Davis

CUNY Asian American Film Festival
May 28, 2010 | New York, NY
5/28, 6-8pm @ CUNY Graduate Center – Martin E. Segal Theatre

He replaces Hong Kong star Stephen Chow, who was originally set to direct and act in the film but pulled out citing “differences” with Columbia Pictures, according to HK paper The Apple Daily. The movie also stars Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz and is due out July 2010.

Bruce Lee as Kato in the 1960s television series, The Green Hornet

A commentary from Hyphen Magazine criticizes the Jay Chou choice, saying it’s a snub to all the available Asian American actors who could have played the role, and points out that Jay Chou isn’t exactly skilled in martial arts.

I understand there are a lot of unemployed Asian American actors out there who are probably very talented, but are unfortunately type cast because of the color of their skin. But I have also cringed once too many times when an Asian American does indeed land a role, as a Chinese speaking FBI for example, and bungles the few lines of Mandarin in the script to the point of incomprehensibility. That is, what did you just say?? And so, because of this pet peeve, I really don’t mind casting a non-American for Asian roles in Hollywood productions. At the same time, the character of Kato I believe, is largely a non-speaking role. !!

A versatile musician and performer (from performing Chinese opera inspired pop songs to Chinese hip hop styles) I don’t think there will be a problem if Jay Chou enrolls in some martial arts training.

So what do you think? Asian American snub? Or is Jay Chou cool as Kato?