FORMOSA BETRAYED- There’s a kernel of a great idea that lies buried somewhere beneath the flaws of this tepid political thriller. Unfortunately, first-time director Adam Kane never quite manages to build up enough dynamic heat to make the damn thing pop. There are, however, some intriguing back-stories involved, both on- and off-screen.
Writer/producer/co-star Will Tiao (a Fulbright scholar who went into international politics before embarking upon a career in entertainment) independently raised millions of dollars from private investors to get the movie made– many of them from Atlanta– and the work was clearly a labor of love. Inspired by actual events, the story follows FBI agent Jake Kelly’s (James Van Der Beek) investigation of the murder of a Taiwanese-American professor on U.S. soil. When the killers flee to the Asian island of Taiwan– which was formerly known as Formosa– Kelly follows, only to become embroiled in a muddled mystery that ultimately involves the U.S. State Department, the Chinese Mafia, the Taiwanese government, Chiang Kai-shek and martial law.
It’s clear that Tiao, who is of Taiwanese descent, is passionate about criticizing the United States government’s failure to recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, independent of mainland China. Sadly, it takes nearly an hour of unveiling the increasingly convoluted plot before he (in the role of a political activist) reveals his history lesson, which proves infinitely more interesting than anything in the previous 60 minutes.
It’s easy to imagine a talented auteur such as Paul Greengrass turning this tale into a taut, politically charged thriller. But as it is, the stilted pacing, pedestrian dialogue and occasionally amateurish acting make the film something of a choring bore to watch. But hey, at least it answers the question, "What the heck happened to James Van Der Beek after Dawson's Creek?" (C-) –Bret Love
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