The immigration debate in this country offers up an array of different opinions. Whichever side you lean towards, those voices are heard throughout the social media landscape and our news media. But, unfortunately, one of the least talked about topics regarding immigration is a loophole that remains a controversial method to this day. One that has seen thousands of children adopted at a very young age by U.S. parents and discover only much later in life that they have no legal status as American citizens and in many cases are at risk of deportation. But, thanks to Justin Chon’s emotional Blue Bayou, that conversation will now reach a larger demographic.
Blue Bayou follows Antonio le Blanc (Chon), his wife Kathy (Alicia Vikander), and stepdaughter Jessie (Sydney Kowalske), who have created a loving family dynamic while Antonio has produced an American life for himself, as he was born in Korea and adopted by white foster parents and has lived in the U.S. for over 30 years. However, after an incident with Kathy’s ex-husband, cop Ace (Mark O’Brien), and his racist partner (Emory Cohen), Antonio is threatened with deportation and is forced into a legal proceeding to determine whether or not he will remain in the country.
The film works best in its quiet and subtle moments. The moments Antonio and Jessie share early on are some of the best in the movie. Chon’s choice to display their heartwarming relationship leads to some of the most compelling moments in the film. It is clear to the viewer that Antonio is not just a fill-in step-father for Jessie but someone who truly cares for Jessie and her happiness. Sydney Kowalske’s charm and sense of humor shines in all those scenes and is the film’s breakout.
It was great to see Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander back on the screen. As expected, Vikander is excellent in her role, and her amazing chemistry aids that with screenwriter/director Justin Chon. Through the ups and downs of their relationship, both Chon and Vikander deliver spectacular emotion that aids the film’s overall tone and message.
While Antonio’s American identity is engraved in his everyday life, he discovers through a friendship with Parker (Linh Dan Pham), a Vietnamese-American woman dying of cancer, about his culture and Asian America, and provides a cultural awareness to Antonio. While Parker’s time on screen is minimal, it offers Antonio not only an entry into Asian American culture but a face outside his family that doesn’t consistently offer up cruelty towards him.
Matthew Chuang and Ante Cheng’s cinematography provides a grittiness and a dirty lens to the unfolding events. This choice lends the film’s dark exploration of New Orleans and the circumstances of Antonio’s life. Aiding the two is Roger Seun’s score, which is one of the most understated scores of the year, but in the context of the film, is incredibly effective.
Where the film begins to lose me is with its heavy-handed approach to the subject matter. There is no subtleness in Blue Bayou when it comes to its message. While this may work for some, it is filled with metaphors and heavy-handed moments that at times will make you feel that Chon did this to make viewers cry. While I can’t go into full detail, there is one scene, in particular, that would have effectively wrapped things up well. Instead, however, Chon chooses to add just one more moment that ultimately came off as its more heavy-handed choice of the film.
Despite that, Blue Bayou is a must-see. It’s a grounded, real-life look at the current state of the immigration system in this country. The film teaches us that no matter how long you’ve been in this country, that citizenship has little to do with choice and all to do with legality. As a son of an immigrant mother, I fully embrace that concept and add that we may love America, but at times America fails to reciprocate that love.
Blue Bayou will release on September 17, 2021.
