Columbus

“Columbus” was a pleasant surprise — I knew next to nothing about it except it was “that John Cho indie movie”. It’s a quiet film, with beautiful, formal visual compositions serving as the backdrop to characters that are struggling to balance familial duty with their own needs and ambitions.

Haley Lu Richardson and John Cho do great work as the leads, but the rest of the cast is made up of folks you’d probably recognize: Parker Posey, Michelle Forbes, and Rory Culkin.

I later found out that “Columbus” is the first feature-length film by Kogonada, better known for their work as a video essayist. I enjoyed listening to Aisha Harris’ interview with Kogonada on Slate’s Represent Podcast, where the two get super-nerdy about film and Kogonada goes into not only the process behind making their first film, but also the difficulties in getting a film made with an Asian lead.

If you’re in the US, “Columbus” is currently streaming on Hulu, but it’s also available at iTunes.