They dream, they struggle and they invent. "Children of Invention" takes its audience into the lives of a family that dreams of a better life, struggles with the hardships of a city and proves that hope always exists. Any viewer is likely to fall in love with the little girl, Tina (played by Crystal Chiu), whose face lights up at seeing Barbie dolls in a mall and her brother, Raymond (Michael Chen), whose mind is constantly at work inventing peculiar but ingenious gadgets with the hope of selling them to support his family and buy back their old house.
As the siblings' divorced mother, an immigrant from Hong Kong, desperately tries to find a job, she gets roped into a pyramid scheme called Gold Rep. that targets low-income immigrants. After she is sent to jail for her participation, her children are left to fend for themselves. In an interesting stylistic twist, however, the film opens as the family is finally reunited.
The movie is set in Boston, and though Tufts students will notice familiar places and neighborhoods, the phenomenal acting is what really catches one's attention. It is impossible not to feel the family's pain, share in their joys and admire the strong bond between the two children and their mother.
Chen made appearances in a few television commercials and programs before starring in "Children of Invention." With this debut in the film industry, Chen does wonderfully, delivering a nuanced and complex performance.
He aptly portrays a child who has grown up too fast. His character's maturity is striking and highlights the poignancy of his lost childhood. There is a point when he decides his mother is not coming back and devises a plan to support what is left of his family.
Chiu, a talented young musician and speaker at the age of eight, also makes her first film appearance in this movie. She is innocent and initially does not realize the gravity of her family's situation; she sulks when they have to move from their house and when her mother leaves her to go to work; and she idolizes her elder brother, always listening intently to what he says.
Throughout the movie, Chiu's character develops and we see her mature and become more sensitive to reality, while remaining a young innocent who wants to meet her father and buy Barbie dolls.
"Children of Invention" primarily addresses the modern struggles associated with trying to achieve the American dream. Central to the family's struggle is the mother's character, Elaine Cheng (Cindy Cheung from M. Night Shyamalan's film "Lady in the Water" (2006)) and other TV shows. Cheung gives a sympathetic performance as a woman who finds herself in a devastating situation as she was only attempting to provide her children with the bright future that so many believe America will inevitably supply.
The movie uses the children's perspective to convey the strength of familial love. As the audience sees these two children alone at home, venturing out into the city and looking out for each other, it's hard to believe that family love could ever fail to overcome everyday hardships.
Though a major theme in the film is the characters' pursuit of the American dream, it also comments on more universal desires. Everyone has individual dreams that he or she hopes to fulfill, like Raymond's drive to invent. The children's struggles show that even these seemingly inconsequential dreams are meant to be pursued.
The story is inspiring and the acting is phenomenal; make sure to catch "Children of Invention" at the Independent Film Festival of Boston next week.
