SLIFF 2009 Review: MADE IN CHINA

Judith Krant makes her directorial debut with MADE IN CHINA, a satirical mockumentary mumblecore mutt of a movie that is as original and creatively risque as it is funny and intelligent. Jackson Kuehn (SINGULARITY) stars as Johnson, an eager and ambitious young entrepreneur who has decided to go all out and focus on making his novelty invention a reality. He sets off for Shanghai, China at his mother’s behest and begins his journey to find the elusive James Choi, the man who Johnson believes will manufacture anything.

MADE IN CHINA is a wacky criticism of contemporary trends. Part mockumentary, part Michael Moore and Morgan Spurlock documentary, with all the appeal of THE OFFICE. Johnson is confident and sure that his product will be a huge hit. His scenes, often aggressive and awkward, hint at an influence from Sasha Baron Cohen without the controversial crudeness. The film switches from segments depicting Johnson on his pursuit for the American Dream in China to segments featuring crudely animated presentations narrated by Johnson, set to stock inspirational music.

The audience will find itself bouncing frantically between moments of hilarity and absurdity to moments whereas we almost forget this is entirely fictional. Johnson daydreams and hallucinates about his product making it big and having its own infomercials. Before his product is even officially contracted, before he has even met with the man who would make it all happen, Johnson is already being sucked into the corrosive and dangerous allure of fame and fortune.

Johnson is a man lost in his dream, oblivious to the world around him and susceptible to con men and industry swindlers. The audience feels Johnson’s nervousness as well as his hope for success. The audience also finds themselves watching squeamishly through the looking glass as Johnson makes mistakes that seem blatantly obvious. Its a strange sensation to pull for the good-natured Johnson and wish him success while also realizing he’s a clueless putz that practically wears a sign reading “screw me over, please”.

Jackson Keuhn delivers a strikingly comical breakout performance that is well-matched with Krant’s vision and imaginative style. MADE IN CHINA is a wholly new breed of comedy that draws from various existing influences. This will surely be a crowd-pleaser and has the potential to become a cult favorite. MADE IN CHINA tells a story with heart, albeit manufactured and often silly, and is equally entertaining and informational. That’s right… you’ll actually learn something about the novelty industry as well!

MADE IN CHINA will screen at the Tivoli on Saturdayday, November 14th at 5:00pm during the 18th Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival.