User Reviews

Part love story, part psychological thriller, Pali Road is an unusual and memorable film. The strong multicultural cast, the Hawaiian setting, and mix of Asian and Polynesian cultural themes make this a unique film that deserves a wider audience. The plot is tight and quick paced, so the story never lags. Performances by the actors and actresses are strong and convincing. The ending will strike some as abrupt and perhaps a tad unsatisfying, but this minor flaw does not diminish the overall quality of the film and may even enrich the element of mystery. The cinematography is gorgeous and gives the movie a strong sense of place. Strongly recommended.

I thought the movie Pali Road was an original romantic thriller. The characters felt real and authentic. The acting was excellent- all around, with no weak spots which is unusual for even great movies. The story kept me engaged and curious throughout. My only negative comment would be that the ending was a bit too abrupt. It felt too unfinished. Overall, though an excellent film that I highly recommend. A modern day East meets West Romeo & Juliet with a twist. It was such a nice experience for me, as a viewer. Such a different story and beautiful cinematography. Some of the shots were truly amazing. They must have shot it in Hawaii or some place similar. The film is beautiful to watch but has a great story too.

We were truly impressed by Pali Road, and hope you will show it in our local theaters soon. Upon knowing that our friend, Elevila Giles, had a part in the film - we were excited to see it. We were not disappointed. The movie had an exciting beginning, and a very intriguing story. We were not expecting such a twist of events, and it kept us in suspense. Very well done and wonderful casting. Acting was great in all parts. We are looking forward to Pali Road 2! So we can see what happens with the doctor. Wonderful production. A must see. If you like stories that keep you guessing and suspenseful, than this one is great. I am so proud of our friend and all who were involved with production.

This is the first review I write for a movie just to warn you so do not waste your time/money.My wife and I just came out from the movie. We chose this movie because it was in a nearby theater, its story line seemed intriguing and it had high IMDb score. However, it was a total bust. We both find the movie dull and acting was so horrible.There is no way that you believe any part of the so called romance that the movie supposed to have. We rather have chosen the movie for its potential mystical story line. However, even the "OK" suspense you feel during the movie is not good enough to watch this movie. I believe its IMDb rating will decrease very soon.

... are clearly the white guys out there with an Asian fetish or the Chinese girls out there with a white fetish. I mean c'mon. The lead character is a chinese doctor (so presumably has a decent head on her shoulders) who is dating a grade school teacher with cheesy come on-lines earning minimum wage (and has to live in her house since he can't pay the rent in the pricey Oahu real estate market). Sooo in love is she with this dude that she shoots him down hard when he proposes, and breaks his heart saying marriage is "more than just love, it's about families coming together, kids", etc. Ok I hear you sister. Makes sense, a little harsh on the white dude but makes sense. The boyfriend is so distraught about being dumped that he loses attention of the road and crashes head on to a cement structure. Love hurts!

Strangely she wakes up no worse for wear, in satin sheets and undies in a gorgeous house with an outdoor heated pool, a Mercedes and a Bentley in the garage, and finds that she is actually married to a successful Korean doctor and has a cute little boy to boot. Hmmm don't wake me up from this coma! By all accounts the husband is tall and handsome, extremely caring, loving, generous, and gives her all the space she needs, and even treats her parents like his own.

But no.... this girl is apparently sooo in love with the white boyfriend that she rejects this new found reality, rejects even her child, and instead is rummaging through the forest at the site of the crash and a dilapidated house where she thought she lived, in order to find the boyfriend (hmmm the same guy who she refused to accept marriage to in the alternate reality she came from)? That makes zero sense. She searches for any record of this boyfriend but in this reality it seems he just doesn't exist. But everything else is the same. I guess when you have an Asian girl with a white fetish, this "nightmare" of a reality is just too much for her to handle. "I don't love you and I will never love you!" she exclaims to her "bizarro" world devoted husband in one of the final climatic moments. Wow. Really? Girl, you clearly suffered major brain damage. I won't spoil the rather mundane ending plot twist but that's basically the story line. A real face-palm through most of the movie.

The other things this movie doesn't have going for it: Michelle Chen's acting which is cringeworthy. I'm sorry, she sort of cute, but she gives off an air of snottiness that is seen in every character she plays. I don't know if that's the roles she gets or that's how she is in real life that comes through her acting. The acting from every other cast member is actually decent, and you can tell who's seasoned and who isn't. Michelle Chen looks like a newcomer but she's actually 36 years old so gotta get it together sister.

Also the movie just moved at a glacial pace. I kept looking at the clock wondering how this is a 90 minute movie, it felt like a 4-hour marathon of this girl crying on cue. The only time this movie had any excitement was when the husband and her parents had finally had enough and held her down to tell her she's crazy, stop obsessing over some imaginary white boy!

I'm giving it a 4 mostly for the acting of the other cast members, the high def images of the beautiful Hawaii landscape, and a little bit of suspense that was created at the start of the film.

I was lucky enough to snag tickets for Pali Road at CAAMFest. The film kept me guessing from start to finish. The ending was really thought provoking and left me thinking about it. It is a soul-searching film. And I appreciated the spiritual themes that were at work as well. Even woke up the morning after still thinking about it... and that ending! I hope the film gets a wider release! I think more people need to see this. I hope it gets a bigger audience that it deserves! Really impressed by this story and had to write about it because I'm still thinking about it. Really good. That's all I say. Good performances. Good direction for the most part. I am so happy I lucked up and saw this film at the fest.