The premise of this UCLA student film is quite original. The wonderful Sandra Oh (HBO's "Arliss", "Dancing At The Blue Iguana") plays Audrey, a researcher who is gathering volunteers for a study on the barrier device, which is a female condom. She has to maintain distance with her subjects or the study will not be taken seriously due to charges of conflict of interest. Into her study walks Serena (Suzy Nakamura), an actress who innocently reveals that she has a definite connection with Audrey and through Serena, Audrey realizes she can learn a few things about herself. From there, Audrey has to walk a tightrope, does she pursue her connection with Serena or maintain the distance she needs for her study? From there, the film develops into a painful, funny and quite touching story of two Asian-American women. It is no wonder the film has won so many awards and been shown at over two dozen film festivals. Writer/Director Grace Lee has made both fiction and non-fiction films in the past and she appears to have a bright future behind the camera.
Review of Barrier Device
