Chan Is Missing (1982)

In addition to being one of the screen's more unconventional mysteries, Wayne Wang's Chan is Missing is also a relatively rare, authentic portrait of life in a Chinese-American community. Working in 16mm on an ultra-low budget, Wang cannily uses his San Francisco locations to create a vivid, urgent look and feel. The story ostensibly revolves around two cab drivers -- engagingly played by Wood Moy and Marc Hayashi -- searching for stolen money, but the plot is little more than a device to introduce the audience to a rich tableau of interesting characters. The tone of the film is warm and generous, and writer-director Wang keeps the action at a brisk pace, mustering up a remarkable amount of detail in the film's brief, 80-minute running time. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide