NYAFF 2022 Review: MAMA BOY, A Visually Poetic Tale About Growing Pains
U.S.-born filmmaker Arvin Chen’s third feature is a profile in coming-of-age hardship amid family drama in Mama Boy, fresh out of Taiwan and currently circulating festivals abroad with its latest movement now at this year’s New York Asian Film Festival. Distribution Workshop is representing the film internationally per its announcement last year with a cast led by Tiny Times franchise actor Kai Ko, and actress Vivian Hsu following their last shared screen credit, Jeff Chang’s 2013 comedy, Machi Action. We meet Xiao Hong (Kai Ko), who’s a bit of a basketcase. He lives with his overprotective and intrusive mother, Meiling (Sara Yu), who insists on coordinating just about every aspect of his life in hopes of securing his future, including his romantic interests. There is just one problem: Xiao has just turned 29. He’s never had a girlfriend, and everytime she sets him up on a date, it ends in […]