This afternoon I had the pleasure of catching the American Indie flick Made in China. Walking into the theater I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, but when the lights went up, I left the theater with my sides sore from laughing and a goofy grin on my face. The film revolves around a novelty inventor named Johnson who dreams of worldwide success. What is a novelty inventor exactly? Well, these men and women have been responsible for such gems as: the Slinkey, the rubber chicken, Sea Monkeys, the classic snake in a can... the list goes on and on. Johnson dreams of joining the ranks of these novelty invention greats who came before him - but first he has to move out of his mother's basement in small-town Texas.
Frustrated with his life, Johnson decides to embark on a trip to China - the world's mecca for manufacturing and mass production. Chaos and hilarity ensue as the naive yet eager Johnson navigates through the streets of Shanghai attempting to generate interest and find a backer for his "needful and novelty hygiene product." (I don't want to give away the identity of his invention - the scene in the movie where his idea is revealed is absolutely hilarious!)
The film is beautifully executed and Jackson Kuehn shines in the role of Johnson, but for me the true star of the movie was the backdrop the movie took place in. Fittingly enough, Made in China was in fact made in China, and some of my favorite scenes involved Johnson stumbling through the side streets of Shanghai, or joining in an outdoor Tai Chi class with some locals. Overall, Made in China is a visually breathtaking and compelling story of self discovery that succeeds without oozing cheese and cliche.
If you missed the screening today, you still have a chance to catch this hidden gem next week. An encore screening of Made in China is being shown on Sunday October 4th at Eau Claire Market at 3:15pm.
