Charlotte Sometimes

Starring: Michael Idemoto, Eugebia Yuan, Jacqueline Kim, and Matt Westmore
Written/Directed by: Eric Byler

Find out where to see Charlotte Sometimes

Charlotte Sometimes nails the subtle psychotic element that circles budding relationships. What the film lacks in high budget toys ( like sound tweaking), it makes up for with its steady voyeuristic lens peeking into the delicate affairs of the heart.

Story goes…. Michael (Michael Idemoto) is settling back into single life after (we get the idea) a very bad break up. He lay awake at night, zombie-like, riddled with ghosts of the past waltzing about.

He also has some live company.

His tenant, Lori (Eugenia Yuan), has chronic insomnia - and it looks like a big old crush on Michael. So after her nightly Rumba Romp with her gorgeous boyfriend (Matt Westmore - who leaves ya wantin' more -), she slips upstairs to cuddle platonically with Michael. Each quietly just enjoying the lesser part of being alone.

When Michael meets a strange and aloof woman at a local club he starts to think he can love again. Lori's hair goes up on the back of her neck (metaphorically speaking of course) and we settle in for a delightful ride.

The mystery woman, Darcy (Jacqueline Kim), keeps Michael at arms length, never quite revealing herself or letting him in. He's in a flutter. But we get it - it's that old curse of the universe, "You can never have what you most want" combined with, "That which is hard to get becomes all the more desirable."

But Michael who genuinely wants to love and bond with that special someone is awakening from his smit-bug flu and is starting to think maybe Darcy isn't what he wants at all…

The joy of finding an Indie film is often those nuggets of deep character development and the piercing non-judging truths. With all the realism in Charlotte Sometimes, there is a hearty weak spot within the actual dialog. Here multiple award winning writer/director Eric Byler managed to capture the life-realism but then had one too many "as ifs" in the dialog driven scenes for this cinephile's tastes - even for a film set in modern Los Angeles. Byler's faux pas surprised me frankly. Perhaps he would have been better suited to research the patterns of a woman in heat. He turns his femme fatale Darcy into a plastic fantasy that is often as annoying as she is beautiful. And Eugenia Yuan comes of as flighty and a tad pushy. She's so obviously smitten with Michael the film's pay-off is weakened. Luckily the girls have screen presence and pull us through.

The true treat of Charlotte Sometimes is Byler's use of Michael Idemoto. Besides being a tantalizing yumfest of extreme proportions he quietly demands the screen. He has that inner strength fine actors inherit and cannot study. Mr. Hotty McHot stole the film!

Charlotte Sometimes' beauty is in the way it captures unfeigned awkward relationship starts and exposes strong friendships that defy explanation. And of course in the abundance of man beauty. Discovering Michael Idemoto is the true treasure Charlotte offers. He should have a bright career ahead of him. And handsome -wise this Matt Westmore's not exactly one manly kebab a gal would pass quickly in a smokey bar either! Another of the film's bonus points is the all-Asian American cast; delightfully un-stereotypical and truly refreshing.

Snack Recommendation: Dim Sum and Coronas