Credited cast: | |||
Maggie Cheung | ... | Ellen | |
Leon Lai | ... | Mike | |
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Scott Leung | ... | Scott |
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Saisie M. Jang | ... | Mel G |
AnnieScott Rogers | ... | Wealthy Lady | |
Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
Valerie Chow | ... | Virginia Chow | |
Alan Draven | ... | Taxi driver | |
Mark Hefti | ... | Tony | |
Eric Kot | ... | Bob | |
Suki Kwan | ... | Tina | |
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Jeffrey Lei | ... | Taxi Driver (as King Kong) |
Carl Ng | ... | Mike's friend | |
Richard Ng | ... | Robert | |
Jed Rowen | ... | Homeless Man (as Jed Low) | |
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Andrew Schmidt | ... | Chinese speaking caucasian |
Ella is a divorced Chinese American taxi driver who spends her days ferrying people around the roads of Sausalito, San Francisco. After work, she spends time with her 8-year old son, Scott. Ella meets Mike at Sky House, an infamous pick-up joint. Awkward strangers at first, they nonetheless find passion and what they want in each other. For Mike, it was but a one night stand amongst many, but it has affected Ella a great deal. Irritated at first, Mike cannot help but eventually be touched by Ella's sincerity. For a while, they spend happy times together. But when Mike's company is threatened, his attempts to save it by having an affair with a lady chairman. Not only are his efforts in vain, they also cause Ella to leave him. A year has passed and Ella has gone back to her old job. Mike, successful again with his new company, realizes that Ella is his only love. But a more mature Ella is now able to see her infatuation for what it is. It finally takes a near disaster to bring two ... Written by L.H. Wong <lhw@sfs.org.sg>
It's rather nice occasionally to see a romantic movie that's not based on teenage puppy-love, and Sausalito falls right into this category.
Maggie Cheung plays Ellen, a single mother in her mid-30s and makes a living as a taxi driver in San Francisco. Meanwhile, Mike (Leon Lai) is the CEO of his successful internet start-up company. However, it's developing its own cash problems, and business problems are hitting his own personal life. On one night to get away from it all, Leon borrows someone he doesn't know, Maggie, for a trick to woo the chicks, but instead attracts the attention of Maggie. And so a bumpy taxi-ride lies ahead.
Sausalito is a feel-good movie about life in a world that you begin to realise are full of strangers. The story is well written, with some very good scenes that involve her son, Scott.
Although I wouldn't call this an outstanding film, there is a lot of good subtext in the film, and the story flows very well. The story also acknowledges San Francisco culture by including addressing many of the bigotries that people outside of San Francisco may not be readily accepting as yet, one of which is the inclusion a homosexual, multi-racial couple of contrasting ages.
This is definitely one to add to the 'To Watch' list.