Same Old, an Oscar-qualifying short written and directed by Canadian film director and screenwriter Lloyd Lee Choi, is a dark and gritty tale of desperation in New York City’s Chinatown. Lu (Limin Wang), a Chinese Delivery man, is suddenly faced with life shattering consequences when his e-bike is stolen. Being his only source of income, Lu reaches out to his contacts for help without success. Quickly realizing he must act, Lu must make a choice that goes against his character to survive.
A bustling Chinatown is where we first meet Lu unlocking his e-bike and pedaling away through the city towards his first delivery. The bustling city backdrop is a permanent fixture, providing a dark palette of greys and blacks punctuated by the bright NYC lights. The light and shadows are used to great effect, highlighting the city’s sharp architectural edges, adding to the grittiness of the city, and Lu’s ever-worsening situation. As Lu arrives at his first few deliveries, it’s clear this is not an easy line of work. Rushed, and most likely underpaid, Lu hops from restaurant to restaurant in the hunt for the next delivery and the next paycheck. Returning from the restaurant with a fresh delivery, he arrives back to find his bike stolen. A disaster for any delivery man, but for Lu, this is a matter of life and death. No bike – means on money, no rent and even worse, no repayments on a bike that isn’t even his. Reaching out to friends proves unsuccessful, most of them reminding him they haven’t spoken in more than 2 years.
As Lu sits to smoke another cigarette, trying to exhale away his problems, he comes to the realization that he must act, even if it means going against his own morals. Finding himself in a hardware store, Lu decides to purchase a hammer. At this point it’s clear, his intentions are being fed by his desperation. Right or wrong, Lu is about to make a decision that will either ensure he survives another day or puts him behind bars.
Same Old is visually pleasing on the eye and supported well by the performance of Wang. However, you feel there is something missing, almost like this should be a scene in a movie and not a dedicated short. Ironically that’s happening, with Choi developing a feature film based on the story. Hopefully, they can get Wang involved in some way as his performance as Lu warrants it. Although his face is covered most of the time, he’s able to emote through this barrier and lends more importance to the scenes where his face is uncovered. The lighting is the second star of the show, bringing Chinatown to life. Lu spends a lot of time down dark alleyways or being lit only by the glow of a cigarette. This really pulls the audience in, making you get closer and more intimate with the story.
Choi has presented the fragility of life in a gritty and grainy piece that shows how delicate life can be for immigrants living on the breadline. Sometimes we must face difficult, unethical decisions to survive. For some people. . . it’s just the same old.