Golden Gate (1994)

John Madden's "Golden Gate" mixes issues of racism with McCarthy-era witch hunts. Matt Dillon plays an FBI agent in San Francisco who trumps up charges against a Chinese-American man and later starts up a relationship with the man's daughter (Joan Chen). I actually thought that one of the most effective scenes was the college scene in which the Asian-American students reflect on discrimination. But even so I thought that they did a sufficient job looking at the issues. I understand that screenwriter David Henry Hwang is a noted dramatist; indeed, part of the movie feels like a play.Anyway, pretty good movie. Also starring Bruno Kirby (young Pete Clemenza in "The Godfather Part II"), Teri Polo (Pam in "Meet the Parents") and Tzi Ma (one of the accomplices in the remake of "The Ladykillers").

Who knew that the Golden Gate was made of cardboard instead of steel? Obviously not the producers and the director of this garbage. They filled the film with cardboard characters and standard tripe.Matt Damon plays a guy who wanders around morosely spouting below stock lines trying to reconcile his life as a Federal Agent. He works in Chinatown for years but throughout a whole film set in Chinatown not one damn person speaks Chinese ever in the film! Throughout the film the Chinese actors and actresses speak fluent 1980's style English. They all dress drably except when it is time to show of Ms. Chen. Then she wears a bright red tittie-forming top that makes her stand out against the drabness all around Chinatown. The hokiness of the story and characters dribs and drabs making one dread each next line of dialog for it is obviously going to be worse than the prior one.Meanwhile...like an Okie of John Steinbeck's...Matt Damon never is seen having a home in Chinatown at all. All he does is wander around from scene to scene. There is not one shred of him being a realistic human at all.This film is so awful it makes one want to throw themselves off the Golden Gate bridge.

Hey, don't these screenwriters know how to read any more? I mean this screenplay is so rank with vague cliches & timeless imprecision, it's beyond comprehension. There's no cohesion here, narrative, emotional, political or otherwise. It's beyond embarrassment. Woof. Only poor Matt Dillon gives it any dignity or professionality. What is he, the indie's Jeff Bridges? The guy deserves some kind of special award. Definitely.

I'm no big fan of the FBI, but the story line of this movie is ridiculous! The writer and director couldn't have care less about telling a realistic story of the communist threat in the 1950's and the social and political changes of the 1960's. Instead, the FBI and its agents are portrayed as evil and devoid of integrity. When agent Kevin Walker (Matt Dillon) finally realizes the "error of his ways", he turns into a drunk and degenerate who eventually commits suicide. Technically, the movie is well done. The cinematography is first rate, with San Francisco filmed it all of its glory. But, as for the left wing "brain washing", I'll pass, and I recommend that you do the same.