John Cho has been on edges of being a big name for a while now, possessing the talents and the looks to conceivably have a huge, Hollywood career but never quite landing similar roles as say, his “Star Trek” co-stars. He’s shown throughout the years that his range is big, going from broad comedy in the “Harold & Kumar” series, to understated, leading man smoldering in short lived TV series “Selfie” to action hero as Hikaru Sulu. And while we (being critics and fans alike) have always recognized that talent, it’s still always felt as if there was something untapped lying underneath what we’d seen so far.
“Columbus“, the debut feature by Kogonada looks to be just that vehicle to show him off, marrying the rising talents of its director and co-stars Haley Lu Richardson and Cho into something our critic Jessica Kiang called, “a gentle but sharply defined story, brimming with grace, compassion and performances of perfect naturalism, it is unashamedly intellectual yet deeply human.”
Having garnered quiet praise since playing at this years Sundance Film Festival, “Columbus” looks to be an exciting and emotional venture for all the talent involved. Here’s the synopsis:
While his father is in a coma, Jin finds himself stuck in an unusual Midwestern city renowned for its modernist buildings. Though not fond of architecture, Jin strikes up a friendship with Casey, a bright girl who works at the city library (avoiding college and her future), and she shows him the local marvels. With a curious intimacy reserved for strangers, Jin and Casey explore both the town and their conflicted emotions: Jin’s estranged relationship with his father and Casey’s reluctance to leave her mother, a recovering drug addict.
Also starring Parker Posey and Rory Culkin and written by Kogonada, the film will be released August 4th. Mark this as a must watch for the end of summer viewing.
