-Written by Kyle Bain.
An automation technician, David (J. Alphonse Nicholson), is tasked with installing self-service manicure stations that will replace the nail Technicians that currently work in the nail salon. When David meets one of the technicians, he soon realizes that he is tasked with more than just installing these devices, but interrupting the lives of those women.
Technicians is an emotional story from start to finish, and I believe that this was Writer-Directors Kelly Luu and Kevin Luu’s intention. I think it’s apparent that they intentionally put a great deal of focus into developing emotion, into creating something that will resonate with viewers on an emotional level. Every aspect of Technicians lends itself to developing emotion–light, cinematography, dialogue, etc., but the acting detracts from this emotional development more than just a little.
I don’t feel that the film’s leads, Nicholson and Cathy Bui (Tippi), are effective in their attempt to develop emotion. That’s what Technicians is trying to accomplish: emotion. With the two leads being incapable of developing this in the way the film desperately needed, Technicians falters. Their performances are tad too statuesque, and as the words pour from them in monotonic fashion, the emotion slips further from viewers’ grasp. Is emotion the most important aspect of filmmaking? No. However, when it appears that every single piece of a film is meant to evoke emotion, you’d better make damn sure that the emotion comes through. I ultimately never felt a connection with either Tippi or David, and their characters fell flat for me.
What does work is the use of lighting and cinematography to propel these characters, to hint at how their journeys would progress (even after Technicians concluded). Whether a ray of light shone over someone’s face symbolizing the light at the end of the tunnel, or a unique low-angle shot that is meant to present characters as large and stoic, the Luus do a spectacular job of using their technical prowess to create something interesting and immersive. While the characters themselves were ultimately lost on me as a result of the performances, the other aspects of Technicians allowed me to understand what the Luus were trying to express to viewers. It’s these things that allow Technicians to flourish, to become a film that I cared about.
Even when the characters fell flat, even when the intended emotion didn’t hit me the way I had hoped–the brilliance of the Luus to create something visually appealing reeled me back in and expressed to me what a charming film Technicians is. I appreciated the narrative, I appreciated the fact that emotion was meant to be a leading factor in this production–but what ultimately floored me was that aforementioned use of light and cinematography to drive the narrative forward, to create something aesthetically pleasing; that resonated with me.
Written & Directed by Kelly Luu & Kevin Luu.
Starring J. Alphonse Nicholson, Cathy Bui, Devin Kelley, Sandra Walters, Joni Bovill, etc.
6.5/10 = WATCH IT FOR FREE
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