EL SEGUNDO HERALD September 12, 2019 Page 3
Entertainment
Film Review
Ms. Purple is a Visually
Stunning Sibling Drama
By Morgan Rojas for Cinemacy
“373 backers pledged $73,634 to help bring
this project to life.” That’s the impressive takeaway
from director Justin Chon’s Kickstarter
page for his third independent feature film,
Ms. Purple. Chon, who stunned audiences
and critics alike with his sophomore film,
Gook, once again brings a heartfelt story of
Asian American cultural identity and the basic
human desire of belonging to the streets of
Los Angeles in Ms. Purple, now playing at
Landmark’s Nuart Theatre.
Ms. Purple centers on 23-year-old Kasie
(Tiffany Chu) who unexpectedly finds herself
the sole caretaker of her bedridden, comatose,
dying father. Abandoned by her mother as
a child, Kasie has always struggled with
isolation and feelings of low self-worth,
as depicted in the film’s beautifully shot
opening montage where she wanders alone
and aimlessly down Koreatown streets. To
make a living, Kasie depends on the seedy
Soop Sok karaoke lounge, a local hotspot
in the K-town pay-for-play market, where
she works as a “hostess” (among other favors
male customers may ask of her). Just
as she feels like the world is caving in on
her, Kasie’s estranged brother Carey (Teddy
Lee) agrees to return home and help with
their father. Here begins the slow process of
bridging the fractured familial gap between
sister, brother and father.
The brother/sister relationship between Carey
Ms. Purple, Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories
The Jewelry Source
Anniversary Sale Contest
“Win $1,000
Shopping
Spree”
Celebrate the Joy of Jewelry!
Tell us what your favorite piece of jewelry is and why:
The Jewelry Source
337 Main St. El Segundo. 310-322-7110
www.jewelrysourceUSA.com
©2007
Name:
(100 word maximum, please)
Phone Number:
Fill out this form and drop it off at The Jewelry Source, before September 30, 2019. A
winner will be drawn from the top 25 entries and will receive a Grand Prize of
$1,000.00 shopping spree of in stock merchandise. Winner will be picked on October 1, 2019.
See the store for details. Your name and comments could be published in the El Segundo
Herald during the Jewelry Source Anniversary Week. Thank you for your participation!
Check It Out
Shake the Tree! A Fun Picture Book…
Reviewed by Kristen Morell,
Youth Services Librarian
Picture books are not only great for children
and parents to read, but adults of all ages should
give them a try too as these works are sure to
put a smile on your face! This week’s review,
Shake the Tree!, was written by Chiara Vignocchi
and Paolo Chiarinotti, and illustrated by
Silvia Borando. This fun picture book begins
with a mouse that has its eye on a nut that
is stuck up high in a tree. Mouse decides to
shake the tree a little to the right and a little to
the left, but is surprised to see it’s not a nut that he
wants to eat that falls down. It is a fox instead.
Fox, however, doesn’t find the nut that is in the
tree appetizing. He takes one look at Mouse and
thinks he looks scrumptious. Mouse then scurries
up the tree, but that does not stop fox. Fox is
determined to get Mouse down from the tree
-- and as he continues to shake the tree, a new
animal comes falling down. This time, an even
larger animal falls out of the tree and Fox decides
to do what Mouse did and climbs up the tree.
At this point, you might be catching on
to how this story goes. The animals that fall
from the tree after the powerful shakes keep
getting larger and scarier. The story closes with
a great big bear shaking the tree and Mouse,
Fox, Warthog and the nut come tumbling
down! This book would appeal to those who
love animals and silly stories. The repetition
throughout makes it a great read for younger
ones, and it’s easy for them to follow along
and remain engaged. I’ll let you read the book
yourself to find out what happens at the very
end! To check out Shake the Tree! or to browse
more fun picture books for kids, please visit
the library to apply for your free library card.
For more young reader picks and staff favorites,
stop by our Youth Services Desk. Our friendly
Youth Services librarians would love to help
you find your next great read. •
Shake the Tree! by Chiara Vignocchi and Paolo Chiarinotti Kristen Morell
See Film Review, page 10