Review: SDAFF 2011: Surrogate Valentine

I have been too busy this week to post reviews of all my Sunday and Monday viewings at this year’s San Diego Asian Film Festival; keep an eye out for them this weekend. However, because I caught the vast majority of the films at their final SDAFF showings, providing a review right away (to help you settle on your own SDAFF schedule) was not necessary. But there is one selection I saw that does play again (Friday at 5 p.m.) that you should definitely make an effort to catch: Dave Boyle’s Surrogate Valentine, which originally played on Sunday as the festival’s Centerpiece. And even if you aren’t in San Diego, you can still watch this little gem by purchasing it online for $25.

Goh Nakamura stars in Surrogate Valentine.

Despite a slim 75-minute running time, you will find few micro-budget independent films this year that are as richly characterized and socially perceptive as Surrogate Valentine. In gorgeous black-and-white, the film follows the day-to-day pursuits of San Francisco-based indie musician Goh Nakamura (playing a cinematic cousin of himself), as he furthers his career and his personal relationships. Nakamura has admitted that he never intended to become an actor, but you wouldn’t know it from watching Surrogate Valentine — he captures a rock ‘n roll brand of deadpan that all too easily could have come across as narcissistic, but is instead infectious and relatable. In other words, even though he is a talented, charismatic musician and functions as the film’s chief social observer, Nakamura ensures that the audience nonetheless connects with his character on a human level — not the easiest of tasks, even for an acting veteran.

Much of the film functions a buddy comedy, pairing Goh with the B-grade television actor Danny Turner (Chadd Stoops), who shadows him on the road in Los Angeles and Seattle to prepare for an upcoming role as a musician. While Danny is something of a caricature–he gleefully delivers his signature line “The Doctor is in!” whenever prompted by a fan on the street–the banter that he shares with Goh gives the role enough substance. More importantly, as a character foil, Danny helps flesh out Goh as the protagonist. Goh’s deprecating responses to Danny’s childlike enthusiasm, which are often expressed with little-to-no words, forge a bond with the audience and allow us to invest in his journey. We come to care about Goh’s success both in life and in music because we ‘click’ with his personality — once again, no small feat in a 75-minute movie.

Goh Nakamura and Chadd Stoops in Surrogate Valentine.

In addition to the Nakamura’s performance / character development, Surrogate Valentine is rewarding in the way that co-writer/director Boyle keenly fuses an awareness of the present era with an old-fashioned cinematic style. The film is peppered with perceptive commentary about the new ways in which we interact — Goh has a Facebook groupie who is unhealthily admiring of him, he promotes himself well on the Internet but has trouble securing physical distribution, etc. But whereas many films that recognize the evolving dynamics of our social media-dominated world (as opposed to ignoring them altogether) descend into artificial thematic postmodernity, Surrogate Valentine rightfully keeps the emphasis on the human element. It never puts abstract ideas before emotions, as reflected in its traditionally romantic depiction of the committed artist, the infectious buddy dynamic between Goh and Danny, and the sweet possibility of romance between Goh and former high school flame Rachel (Lynn Chen).

If there is one thing that I wish Surrogate Valentine had done better, it is showcase Nakamura’s music. Even though his original songs appear throughout the film in pieces, I can’t say I got a complete picture of who he is as an artist. With such a short running-time, it seems that Boyle could have added in a few more performance sequences–or at least extended the existing ones–and it would have given the character even more dimension. That is not to say, however, that Surrogate Valentine feels incomplete; compared to Hollywood’s bloated alternatives, it is superiorly realized. While the movie may never receive a theatrical release, you should be sure to keep an eye out for it on DVD. 3 Buckets out of 4; screens again Fri, Oct 28 at 5 p.m.

That’s all I’ve got for now — stay tuned for reviews of Ocean Heaven, Hello Ghost, Eternity, and more!