The Stand
Rating: 4.5/5
By: Nathaniel Simpson
Not only does director Oanh-Nhi Nguyen showcase the Southeast Asian community in America during this day and age in The Stand, but she is also able to make the audience root for these characters in such a short runtime. The Stand beautifully sheds light on this community and the struggles they encounter while just trying to make a living and provide a home for their children, highlighting aspects that aren't usually shown in mainstream culture. Nguyen's short film just goes on to prove why there needs to be more representation for the Southeast Asian community and how their stories need to be told.
The movie follows a young immigrant girl who is tasked with taking care of her mother's food stand while her mother is called away to deal with issues regarding a court date. However, determined to make enough money for her mom to take the day off to attend her choir recital, Quinn takes it upon herself to run the stand with her younger brother, not knowing who they are going to encounter on the busy sidewalk.
The movie gut-wrenchingly shows how the children characters of Quinn (Jovie Leigh) and Liam (Kailen Jude) are forced to take on more adult responsibilities at such young ages. Instead of being able to enjoy childhood activities and hanging out with friends, they are tasked with helping their mother at the food stand to be able to keep a roof over their head. Nguyen is able to showcase this in her film from beginning to end, showing how these siblings interact with each other and how Quinn tries to turn their duties into a form of game for her younger brother.
The performances here are quite good, especially from the children actors. After speaking to Nguyen in an interview recently, she pointed out how the children would improv off each other, which is quite impressive in how they are able to keep the story moving at such young ages; this is a skill that even older actors can't quite master. I think the great performances are put on full display towards the climax of the film, where the kids and the stand are accosted by a group of drunk men.
The screenplay and directing from Nguyen shows how powerful she is as a filmmaker and how she is able to masterfully tell these stories. This movie drew me in right from the start, and really kept me hooked on what was going to happen next til the end credits rolled. She is able to perfectly build conflict and how to resolve it in a way that isn't necessarily a happy ending, but an ending where the characters realize that they are still together no matter what. The only complaint I truly have about this movie was that it wasn't long enough. I would've liked to see a little more and build a stronger foundation for these characters, but maybe she will get the opportunity to explore a plot like this for a feature length film.
From all of the short films I have seen as a film critic, the two from Nguyen (this and Little Bird) are the best I have had the opportunity to review. Nguyen is a force to be reckoned with, and I think she has such a bright future ahead of her. The Stand goes on to show why these stories that aren't told much in Hollywood are important, and why we need to see more representation for the Southeast Asian community on film.
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