Director: Pauline Chan
Cast: Guy Pearce, Zhu Lin, Lincoln Lewis, Claudia Karvan, Rhys Muldoon, Elaine Jin, Kain O'Keeffe, Claire Scott.
Rating: (M)
3 stars (our of 5)
Directed by Pauline Chan, a Vietnamese immigrant of Chinese descent, 33 Postcards is based on a twee idea with just a hint of grit to render it watchable.
Mei Mei (Zhu Lin) is a 16-year-old orphan growing up in a remote Chinese village. Since she was young, Mei Mei has received regular donations from an Australian sponsor to pay for her education and when her orphanage choir travels to Sydney she naturally wants to meet and thank her benefactor, Dean Randall (Guy Pearce).
Having a glorified vision of Randall's idyllic Australian life, Mei Mei gets an abrupt cultural shock when she tracks Randall to a Sydney prison. Randall for his part, is equally taken aback to discover that his remote friend has not only found him, but is determined to make him part of the family she never had. The trouble is, Mei Mei's naivety leads her straight into the paws of the criminal fraternity behind Randall's incarceration.
Despite the strength of an accomplished cast, including a fine Guy Pearce performance, 33 Postcards self-consciously hits the brakes whenever something profound might emerge. 33 Postcards will charm those seeking an easy to digest, heart-warming tale.
Best thing: Considering she only knew a handful of English words prior to filming, Zhu Lin's performance is outstanding.
Worst thing: The massive plot holes.
See it with: Any non-cynical friend.
- By Mark Orton
