Bitter Melon
The Philippine family finds that they have to spend Christmas elsewhere, where they decided to set up Christmas at the family home in San Francisco. Things changed exactly when the family discovered that their son Troy was ruling the house with fear that frightens everyone who lives there at home in San Francisco. Over time, the holiday takes a dark turn when they conspire to kill an abusive ruler, but in the end, Dicklan, the younger son takes over the family leadership.
April 7, 1971 in San Francisco, California, USA
March 18, 1979 in San Francisco, California, USA
December 04, 2018
An intriguing and absorbing independent film...
September 17, 2018
There are scenes of utter brilliance and honesty, then clunky scenes of melodrama the next. The plot that exemplifies why we love independent cinema. We are off the rails where anything could happen and the story is at once cliché and bracingly original.
December 06, 2018
The movie grinds to a halt in its final third as the characters talk things out, which might be helpful in life but in drama tends to belabor the obvious, as well as offer an easy exit.
May 18, 2018
Domestic violence and black comedy don't seem a natural match, but to an impressive degree "Bitter Melon" pulls off their shotgun marriage.
October 19, 2018
Mendoza adroitly sneaks in other messages, such as thoughtful discussions of both racism and effeminacy in the gay community. The cast is uniformly strong with Schneider particularly appealing as Declan, the perhaps-not-so-moral center of the family.
November 03, 2018
Only a brilliant and gifted director can manage to make grueling topics like domestic abuse mesh well with dry humor and dramedy.
