Combination Platter (1993) User Reviews

Very real, very good acting.

[Hunky Stud · 7/10 · 22 October 2008]

I didn't plan to write a comment, but there are only 3 so far, and the last one was written in 2006! So it is time for a new one.

This is not a high budget movie. I am a little surprised that the company released this movie on DVD more than 10 years later, however, it is worth it.

It mainly is centered inside of a Chinese restaurant. The good acting compensated for the dark and grainy picture quality. I don't know if the main character really is how he acted in this movie or not, he just made his scenes very believable. Unlike watching the movies that are made in recent years, this movie seems to tell a story that is so far from our ordinary life, yet it is very real to people who have worked at the Chinese restaurants.

There was no conclusion if he will get his green card or not, but everyone who works at that restaurant is just trying to make some money to have a better life.

mild comedy, serious theme

[inkblot11 · 24 June 2003]

Combination Platter tells the story of a Chinese restaurant in the New York City area and its employees. One of these workers is Robert, an illegal immigrant, who is desperately seeking a green card. His best route to attain this goal, he admits, is to marry an American woman. When an attempt to offer $25,000 to a Chinese-American woman in exchange for marriage fails, he reluctantly agrees to meet an Anglo-American woman, Claire. Thus, there are scenes of the dating couple intermingled with real-to-life scenarios from the restaurant. The viewer glimpses interesting and irate customers, after work gatherings, kitchen mayhem and more. But, will Robert attain residency in this country before the Immigration service catches up to him?

This is a slow-moving film with scenes of mild humor and genuine drama. Robert's situation is one of quiet unease with ironic overtones; the other employees' lives provide humor and contrast. One quibble: the character of Claire is totally unattractive in appearance and personality. Part of the film is in Chinese with English subtitles which may put off some viewers. Nevertheless, for a truthful look at the life of an illegal immigrant, this is a worthy effort.

A Real Slice of Life--Great Indie Film

[hummel-5 · 9/10 · 6 July 2006]

This is a great but small film. It's about big things, but it shows you through all the little details. The direction is strong--I had the feeling that it was influenced by Scorsese's famous long uncut sequence where the camera walks you through the back halls into the kitchen (Goodfellas? Can't remember which film). In the scene where Robert is hiding from the INS, the camera-work is perfect--it gives you a sense of frenetic terror of being caught. The movie is full of such moments--there are a lot of things the camera tells you quietly that the actors don't.

The Chinese actors are all good. The American actors are okay--some better than others. I thought Coleen O'Brien could have been much more animated--I didn't get her character at all.

This is a great story about living in two cultures at once, at trying to fit in while staying true to your roots--what could be a more American story? Anyway, kudos to Tony Chan for strong writing and directing.

A note of caution: If you don't like subtitles, if you don't like subtleties, if you're waiting for big action sequences, this isn't for you. But if you like a strong story well-told, this is a good one.

poignant

[goodnewsforyou · 9/10 · 23 October 2006]

I am amazed at the many reviewers at amazon who don't like it... then it strikes me, that is precisely what the movie is about!

A Chinese illegal immigrant (Robert) who is seriously worried about survival and staying on in America - like all immigrants including legal ones like myself.

An American woman (Claire) for whom life is about self-fulfillment including a casual romance.

When these two worlds meet, grapple and try to come to terms, it comes apart.

The Chinese man works as a waiter in a restaurant and there are true vignettes of Chinese restaurant life.

Unwittingly perhaps, the director let on that many Chinese are not very truthful or in their culture it is not valued highly. When Robert (our hero) decides to come clean and honestly tell Claire what he wants, she doesn't recognize it because of the white lies he has told before.

Unfortunately the reviewers at amazon are unable to appreciate the subtleness and some sadness - much like real life. They are like Claire in the movie.

Great movie - could replace Chinese with Indian, Hispanic etc and would in many places still be accurate.