CRE FILM Every penny earned is critical to immigrants making deliveries for a Chinese restaurant.

Cruel circumstances
give this story
a desperate edge

"Take Out": Taiwan and United States, Golden Maile Award-nominated feature, plays at 7:15 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Oct. 31 at Dole Cannery cineplex

No one gives much thought to the people working behind-the-scenes at ethnic restaurants across the nation, but their stories may be very similar to that of Ming Ding (Charles Jang) in "Take Out."

Coming up Tomorrow: "The Magical Life of Long Tack Sam" tells the story of China's greatest magician. Friday: Review of the Golden Maile nominee "Mr. Patterns" from Australia. More reviews and feature stories in Weekend. Sunday: Surf Cinema features five big-wave films. Details: The film festival runs tomorrow through Oct. 31 at various theaters. Tickets are $8. Order online at hiff.org or call 528-4433.

Directors Shih-Ching Tsou and Sean Baker waste no time in stirring up empathy for the hapless Chinese immigrant who, wanting to clear his debt to his family for passage to America via smuggler, finds himself in arrears to a loan shark who commands 30 percent interest.

In the apartment he shares with about five fellow immigrants, Ming Ding is rudely yanked out of bed early in the morning by the loan shark's thugs, who demand payment of $800 by nightfall with the threat that nondelivery will lead to a doubling of his debt and possible beating.

Ming Ding has $500 he had saved up for his wife back home in China. At the takeout restaurant where he works, he hits up his friend and co-worker Young (Jeng-Hua Yu) for the extra $300, but after sending money home to China that day, Young has only $150. To make up the difference he suggests that Ming Ding make all his deliveries to collect 100 percent of the day's tips.

At a dollar or two worth of tips per order, it's a slow, painful route to $150, and the audience is drawn into the tedium of the routine, made even more difficult by continuous rainfall, New York traffic, a bicycle malfunction and order snafus.

Young advises Ming Ding to smile and say "thank you" to earn more tips, but the reticent immigrant says he just doesn't feel like it.

By nightfall you're wondering when this ordeal will end. There's a sense of relief and elation when the final tally comes in, but wait! There's one last delivery, and you can't help but notice it's to an apartment building's 13th floor. What happens next is heart-wrenching.

The follow-the-subject digital video footage gives the film the feel of a documentary and Jang's quiet and solitary desperation in playing Ming Ding gives the story such a ring of authenticity that viewers will probably find themselves relieved when the credits roll to show these are indeed fictitious characters.

Or are they?

Young assures Ming Ding at one point that all immigrants struggle in adjusting to life in a new country, but that hard work does pay off -- even as he eyes his own goal of becoming a "big boss" one day -- but you can't help but think that for many the payoff never comes.

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