I like the actor John Cho: He makes interesting movies, and never does the expected. In "Searching," he plays the widowed father of a 15-year-old girl. One night he misses her calls. The next morning she appears to have left for school. Hours pass and he realizes she has gone missing. A detective, played by an almost unrecognizable Debra Messing, volunteers for the case. The search leads him to his daughter's laptop. "Searching" aims for a high tech mystery. Cho's computer searches fill the movie screen with multiple windows. The mystery goes down several blind alleys, the better to keep us interested. I usually cringe when movies rely on computer screens and keyboards, but "Searching" keeps those elements creative. The movie can't quite overcome a few too many cliches and some less-than-brilliant acting. "Searching," rated "PG-13," 2½ stars. Does it deliver what it promises? High tech thriller. Is it entertaining? Keeps your attention. Is it worth the price of admission? Creative and experimental.
