By Jane Yu

A failed attempt at emulating Brad Pitt's smooth moves in order to impress a girl inspired actor Chris Dinh and director Ryan Kim to co-write a short film called Pulling a Legend -- showing us that there can be hope after humiliation.

The roots of director Ryan Kim's short film Pulling a Legend can be traced back to actor/co-writer Christopher Dinh's UCLA days -- when Dinh and his five other college roommates bravely opted to cram into one apartment, with only one bathroom for all to share, no cable TV, and only one DVD playing on repeat. And that DVD was Brad Pitt's epic Legends of the Fall.

Pulling a Legend recently played at the VC Film Festival in Los Angeles, where it earned a spot in the Programmer's Picks as Phil Yu, the founder/editor of AngryAsianMan.com, recommended it for VC audiences. A thoroughly enjoyable film that succeeded in touching that sentimental, happy chord inside without being cheesy (a rare, delicate feat), Pulling a Legend stars Dinh as a guy who tries to impress his crush, played by Kathy Uyen (of the former VC Audience Award winner Asian Stories: Book 3, and the upcoming Harrison Ford/Sean Penn film Crossing Over), on a first date by mimicking some of Brad Pitt's onscreen seduction strategies.

Although I didn't exactly know what to expect, the genuineness and humor of their short film matched the impressions I got in person. Dinh and Kim both greeted me with warm smiles and firm handshakes despite my feeble grip. Dinh, casually dressed while sporting intellectual-looking glasses, had an unrestrained boyish charm when he smiled, whereas Ryan, with his shaved head, tan skin, and deep voice, came across as more of a serious sage. Watching the two of them interact was funny, as all they needed was one question to trigger a flowing dialogue, punctuated frequently with playful jibes at each others' expense, which I was reluctant to interrupt because they made me feel right at home. Which brings me back to the topic.
         
In addition to the romantic storyline, Pulling a Legend was also inspired by Dinh's tight-knit friendships from college. Living together in tight quarters, this quarantine only pushed the limits of their intimate, special friendship. The one bathroom they shared transformed into a hang out spot for them all to swap stories, while completing the daily duties of civilization (i.e. tooth-brushing) and nature (if called for). Kim, in describing the bond that we see in the film, attests that "[His friends] are really like that in real life. They're really totally comfortable with each other. They're kind of like brothers -- six, different brothers. They could walk around naked with each other. That actually didn't happen. [laughs] I'm just throwing that in there."

What did actually happen was that Dinh and his roommates, as a sign of camaraderie, all vowed to resist paying for cable because of its tempting distractions. As a result, the only DVD worthy enough to grace their TV screen for an entire month was Legends of the Fall, starring none other than the universally-admired Brad Pitt.

Legends became the glue that intensified the already existing bond amongst the six pals. Watching the film became a quasi-ritual in which its characters' lines were soaked and repeated like  prayers or those songs you find yourself murmuring from habit. "Everyone was just so into the movie," Dinh remembers. It was soul food -- breakfast, dinner and everything in between.           

What makes Legends of the Fall so quintessentially "legend" is the scene in which Brad Pitt turns around, grabs the girl, and plunges into a deep, passionate kiss. It is precisely the power of this legendary kiss that sparked one of the roommates to suggest that they should try "pulling a legend" in real life as well.

Dinh, who turned out to be the guinea pig, admits that he tried it on his then crush. Unfortunately, the guys didn't realize that it's possible the only time a move like that works is when it's Brad Pitt who's the one doing it. Sadly enough, poor undergraduate Dinh's attempt flopped, with the lucky girl actively squirming to avoid his kiss.

"It was totally not romantic." reminisces Dinh. "I couldn't help myself but start laughing." This very moment is what inspired Kim and Dinh to fictionalize the account into a romantic comedy, when the main character, played by Dinh, tries to "pull a legend" on the new girl who moves in next door.

The seeds of Dinh and Kim's working relationship started when they were undergraduates. They met at Cherry Sky Films where, as interns, they helped market Justin Lin's Better Luck Tomorrow. It was during that time that Chris had realized how much he enjoyed theater, and Ryan, inspired by some filmmaking he did in high school, decided he wanted to challenge the myth that the creative bone was lacking in his family by pursuing his passion for film. Currently, they have moved up the ladder at Cherry Sky Films, working as development assistants by day, and spending much of their outside time on projects of their own.

The making of Pulling a Legend relied on the supportive atmosphere and familiarity amongst the cast and crew. In fact, most of the cast of Pulling a Legend consisted of their actor friends who they believed would make the script come alive. They tried to write the script to fit their dynamic, rather than the other way around.

"I really liked the certain sensibilities that they brought," Dinh says. "Their comedy and their looks."

"I have more fun doing that [writing for a particular actor] than trying to create a character and then trying to find someone," Kim added. "It's about the community."

After the experience of Pulling a Legend, Kim admits he is now ready for another type of project: "I'm actually kind of over the romantic comedy genre," he says. "After that one, I was like, I don't know what else to do." His personal tastes are closer to Stanley Kubrick, whose works he refers to as very dark and kind of demented.

"I just like his filmmaking 'cause he just kind of does his own thing," Kim elaborates. "It seems like when you see his stuff, it's like he's tapped into his own little world and really doesn't give a shit about what others expect of him. But [he] is still able to build that connection with the audience.... He's an inspiration. He was off on his own wavelength."

Kim also admires Steven Soderbergh, who has directed films such as Erin Brockovich, Traffic, Sex, Lies and Videotape and the Oceans trilogy: "I love Oceans 11. It's not trying to make any grand statement about life or the world or anything like that but it's a great, fun movie… [But he also makes] these other really obscure, independent films because that's what he likes doing." Kim respects that dual ability to be artistic but also to know how to entertain an audience. As "a very schizophrenic person" himself, with lots of varying interests, perhaps he relates.

As much as Pulling a Legend has already succeeded in pleasing audiences (including not-easily-impressed viewers such as myself), we still expect and eagerly await new, exciting projects from these two. Luckily, Kim and Dinh have already assured me that Pulling A Legend is just the first of the batch of many creative projects to come.

Published: Friday, June 29, 2007