Taylor Takahashi

(On Cable TV, November 2021) I wasn’t expecting much from Boogie, and my expectations kept dropping further down as the first few minutes rolled by and the film established itself as a familiar, slow-paced, gritty-to-the-point-of-ugliness drama about a high schooler born of Chinese immigrants, gifted at basketball but struggling to fit in when so much hope has been placed on his shoulders. But as more minutes went by, I started warming to the results. Sure, the film is slow, small-scale, and often too painfully realistic. But it does earn some respect as it goes on — a romantic subplot pulls in the very likable Taylour Paige, while Taylor Takahashi proves himself in the lead role. It doesn’t quite get Boogie across the finishing line as a particularly enjoyable piece of work, but at least it avoids the gloom and dourness that the first few minutes presage. Boogie does have something to say about the Chinese immigrant experience (although that’s getting to be a crowded place these days, in between The Farewell, Lucky Grandma and many others I haven’t seen yet) and the heavy expectations placed on talented kids. I just wish it wouldn’t have been so leaden in its initial approach.