Watching TV with the Red Chinese

Watching TV with the Red Chinese is a 2012 American comedy-drama film directed by Shimon Dotan, based on the 1992 novel of the same name by Luke Whisnant. The film follows a trio of Chinese exchange students who arrive in New York City in 1980, eager for what America has to offer. They make friends including a literature teacher named Dexter and his girlfriend Suzanne. As they try to adjust to the New York city atmosphere, they become disillusioned with America, eventually buying a firearm for self-defense.[2]

Watching TV with the Red Chinese
Theatrical release poster
Directed byShimon Dotan
Produced by
  • Shimon Dotan
  • Netaya Anbar
  • Sameer Butt[1]
Screenplay by
  • Netaya Anbar
  • Shimon Dotan
Based onWatching TV with the Red Chinese
by Luke Whisnant
Starring
Music byNat Osborn
CinematographyMike Rossetti
Edited byNetaya Anbar
Production
company
Moonstone Entertainment
Distributed byRoam Films[1]
Release date
  • January 20, 2012 (2012-01-20) (United States; limited)
Running time
105 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
Language
  • English
  • Chinese

Cast

Reception

The film received positive reviews, with critics mostly praising the leads' performances and including minor critiques of the script. Variety, for example, called the acting "solid, particularly by O'Nan, Nam and Jacobs. But the conversations feel artificial, overly concerned with re-creating period detail."[1] Daniel Gold of The New York Times adds that the film "nicely captures the grad-student vibe: beer-fueled bull sessions ... fragile, self-absorbed egos preening even as confidence wavers."[2] Paste Magazine states, that "overall, the film rises above the usual trappings of low-budget productions and succeeds with a smart script and able performances from the cast of (mostly) unknowns, whether you’re looking for sociopolitical commentary or just a small tale well told."[3]

References
  1. Scheib, Ronnie (January 18, 2012). "Watching TV With the Red Chinese". Variety. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  2. Gold, Daniel M. (January 19, 2012). "How Lennon's Death Affected U.S.-Chinese Relations". The New York Times. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  3. Kaufman, Dan (January 19, 2012). "Watching TV with the Red Chinese". Paste. Retrieved August 2, 2012.


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