review: Motel

(3 1/2 stars)This is nice little gem. It is a coming of age flick with an odd dark feel and interesting characters. Not at all a bad way to spend an hour and fifteen minutes. Now, if you have seen as many really dark Todd Solondz type comedies as I have, you might be expecting this one to go into darker places than it does, but Jeffrey Chyau is authentic in his unease and susceptibility and he and Sung Kang work together to form a dynamic that is well worth seeing. A good flick.