Jana Monji

3 weeks ago | wp.me | Jana Monji

The film “The Life of Chuck” rises on its joyful dance performances, first by Tom Hiddleston and then by the young Benjamin Pajak as the young lovestruck Chuck. The astute choreography of Mandy Moore provides so much delightful moments of  connectivity throughout that the film is a glimmering precious gem of joy, especially for dancers. The titular Chuck is played by four actors. Jacob Tremblay (“Room,” 2015) as a teen and Cody Flanagan as the youngest version.   Pajak is already a stage veteran.

3 weeks ago | wp.me | Jana Monji

Does anyone remember at US reality show (2002-2021) called “Cheaters”? I thought the documentary “Mistress Dispeller” might be something like that with private investigators, explicit (but censored proof) and angry confrontations, but instead we are given an alternative way of handling a universal problem. Obviously if things are being filmed, everyone knows to a certain extent that what they say and do are being documented.

3 weeks ago | wp.me | Jana Monji

What do Luise Rainer, Linda Hunt and Jonathan Pryce have in common? They won major awards for yellow face. Rainer and Hunt won Oscars. Pryce won both an Olivier and a Tony. If you were around in the 1990s, you might be familiar with the controversy over Pryce’s casting when the musical “Miss Saigon” transferred to Broadway from London’s West End. Among the high profile voices raised in protest was the first Asian American to win a Tony Award  for Best Play: Los Angeles-born David Henry Hwang.

1 month ago | asamnews.com | Jana Monji

by Jana MonjiDuring Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, seeing people of Asian descent as leads is encouraging, even if the original story itself isn’t written by someone of Asian descent. How you feel about this stage adaptation of Yann Martel’s 2001 novel may depend upon how you feel about possible cultural appropriation or Orientalism in the original source material or how you felt about Ang Lee’s 2012 Oscar-winning film. For theater and puppeteer fans, this play is a landmark.

1 month ago | asamnews.com | Jana Monji

By Jana MonjiToday, May 1sth is the first day of the 41st Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival which runs until May 7th. The opening night Cinema Musica party which features two musical performances (Filipino Americans Monica Anne Parales and David Galvan) is sold out, but here are some of the movies screening in Los Angeles.