Here's another day passing you by. What would you do if you knew today was he last day of your day? How would change your life if you knew you had only 12 hours to live?
In one simple yet profound question, rising South Korean-born director Wonsuk Chin posits the value of life and how to live it in his directorial debut "Too Tired To Die". Set in New York's trendy SoHo district, Chin's first film is a charmingly dark yet whimsical journey through the downtown Manhattan scene that pays homage to some of the greatest directors of the silver screen including John Woo, Bergman, Allen, Lubistch and many others with numerous cinematic references and allusions for true film buffs to enjoy.
Wonsuk, who lived in the states for eight years prior to his film, spent his nights at the local movie theater where he reportedly watched over 500 films in one year that contributed to his total immersion in film culture. Managing to cast and ellicit lively performances from an all-star line up that includes Asian screen heartthrob Takeshi Kaneshiro of "Chungking Express" as the charismatic Kenji, Oscar winner Mira Sorvino as divaesque Death, Korean star Hye-Soo Kim as the beautiful object of desire, and many others such as the great Ben Gazzara ("Husbands"), Jeffrey Wright ("Basquiat"), Michael Imperioli ("Goodfellas"), Bill Sage ("Simple Men"), Geno Lechner ("Schindler's List"), and Gretchen Mol ("The Thirteenth Floor") the film is a casting director's wish come true, and an independent film director's wet dream.
However, as Wonsuk readily admits, making this film was not a bed of roses. Taking over four years of dogged persistence, stubborness, and a lot of luck and talent, he has earned his right to be compared to legendary screenwriter/director Hal Hartley (the man responsible in the early '90s for creating a tapestry of black comedy mingled with the unexpected). The film when released in 1998 became a sure-fire hit at film festivals including Sundance, earned rave reviews from the press, and achieved the second largest opening in theatre history, under the new title "New York Daydream" when released in Japan.
Now, the film is finally being released in the US this September and as Wonsuk candidly introduces "Hi I'm Wonsuk Chin. I'm the director of "Too Tired to Die" Some of you might have seen the film already, because its been in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Korea and Japan and other countries. The film is finally getting released in New York this September, which means a lot to me because that is where I am. Getting the film released here in New York is very very hard and its really exciting. I just hope that the film will do well here. And just tell your friends like in New York or the United States to go see it. Even if you didn't like it, because its really important for a film like this to do well, because then it will open the door for other Asian American directors. So just support the film please. (Laughs)"
Glamorously shot by ace-cinematographer Jim Denault, the story revolves around the life of a Japanese slacker, Kenji (Takeshi Kaneshiro, who arguably looks the best ever on film in a faux-Prada suit) who soon after having a strange dream, beautifully captured as part black and white silent-movie tableau, is visited by Death (Mira Sorvino) and mercifully informed that he has only 12 hours left to live. Kenji, jobless and unambitious, while struggling to figure out what he should do with his remaining time visits his local cafe to discuss life with Greenwich Village pseudo intellectuals and SoHo elitists such as Fabrizio (Michael Imperioli), Balzac Man (Jeffrey Wright), and a beautiful German woman, Pola (Geno Lechner). Vaguely aware that he should be having a good time, if only he had the energy, he decides to make the most of his remaining minutes setting him forth on a series of brief picaresque adventures to do all the things he damn well should have done sooner, including a request for sex with the beautiful Anouk! (Hye-Soo Kim). (Watch for Wonsuk as he does a cameo as a Chinese killer)
ASTYLE met up with Wonsuk at the Asian American International Film Festival where he joined a panel discussion on "How to Cast an Asian American Film," an advice-driven discussion geared toward fimmakers who wanted to find the right cast and chatted about his movie, his thoughts about his cast members, advice on film schools, and his upcoming projects (including one that captures the fast paced Internet world and documents what it's like to be the CEO and founder of one of the hottest dot com companies.) Is it ASTYLE? (Editor: we wish!) For the answer, read on and continue with the interview.