Siao Yu (1995)

82% of users liked it
(82 ratings)

This Taiwanese comedy is set in Lower Manhattan and chronicles the travails of two Taiwanese illegal aliens as they try to get a green card. The woman, Siao-yu, works as a sweatshop seamstress while her lover, Jiang Wei, is a student who works in a fish market. They meet an Italian-American, Mario,… More This Taiwanese comedy is set in Lower Manhattan and chronicles the travails of two Taiwanese illegal aliens as they try to get a green card. The woman, Siao-yu, works as a sweatshop seamstress while her lover, Jiang Wei, is a student who works in a fish market. They meet an Italian-American, Mario, who has racked up a large gambling debt. They agree to give him the $10,000 he needs if he will only marry Siao-yu and get her a green card. Mario is anything but an ideal husband as he is slovenly, middle-aged, and dull; his idea of fun is to play cards and occasionally sleep with his wife, from whom he is separated. Following the "wedding" Siao-yu moves into his spare bedroom, and gradually the two become friends. As they become closer, their lovers begin to feel jealous, and eventually Siao-yu must choose whether to be with Jiang or stay with Mario. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 44 min.
Directed By: Sylvia Chang
Genres: Art House & International, Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 11, 1995 Wide
On DVD: Oct 11, 2005

No Critic Reviews Found…

Featured Audience Ratings

Mark A

A quiet film with some very tender moments that suffers from some uneven acting and jarring incongruities. The lead actors, Rene Liu as Siao Yu, and Daniel Travanti as Mario were excellent and made this viewer believe in the marriage of convenience that was arranged to clear up… More
A quiet film with some very tender moments that suffers from some uneven acting and jarring incongruities. The lead actors, Rene Liu as Siao Yu, and Daniel Travanti as Mario were excellent and made this viewer believe in the marriage of convenience that was arranged to clear up Mario's gambling debts and provide Siao Yu with a green card. But some of the supporting cast (specifically the Italian crowd) delivered their lines as if they were desperate to get them said before they forgot them and had to start over. One's heart was drawn to the character of Siao Yu and her sacrifices to make the scheme work, and one always wondered if her paramour was worth her efforts. Gratitude is not a part of the Chinese culture if his attitude is any indication. Mostly shot in interiors, the cinematography is necessarily tight, the young actress is very beautiful, and the story was compelling. One only wishes there had been more budget allocated to engaging a more talented supporting cast. The subtitles were annoying and unnecessary during the English spoken dialog, but were either on or off, a minor quibble.

Cast

Marj Dusay
as Rita
Daniel J. Travanti
as Mario Moretti
Rene Liu
as Siao Yu

See full cast

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Siao Yu (1995)

No Critic Reviews Found…

Featured Audience Ratings

Mark A

Cast

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