PARK CITY -- That adage "Don't cut off your nose to spite your face" is nicely apt for "Saving Face", a juicy Chinese-American romance about preserving "face" at the sacrifice of your whole being. This Sony Pictures Classics release is a comic gem and will flourish as a word-of-mouth hit for discerning audiences.
First-time filmmaker Alice Wu, who left a certain future in computer science to forge her spunky entertainment, exhibits a veteran's hand in balancing character with comedy. "Saving Face" is a frothy delight, robust with strong and conflicted characters. It often is deliriously funny, thanks to Wu's decidedly raunchy sensibility.
In this romance, Wilhelmina (Michelle Krusiec) suffers the same plague as many "perfect" daughters: She is constantly nagged by her Chinese-born mother (Joan Chen) and hounded by her grandparents, survivors of the Cultural Revolution. By most standards she is a success, a promising surgeon and personable young woman. Not surprisingly, she is regarded with concern and pity by her family elders -- at 29 she is unmarried and, indeed, seems a bit of a klutz with men. But, Wil has her standards, not falling for the rich, chauvinistic losers that she encounters at the frequent Chinese singles parties. And she carries a big secret.
With its idiosyncratic verve, it's hard to notice that "Saving Face" fits an old romantic formula, but in this case with a new spin: Girl gets girl-girl loses girl-girl gets girl. The other "girl" in this winning equation is a lithesome and talented dancer, Vivian (Lynn Chen), who wins Wil's heart.
Spinning her story through the minefields of Wil's professional colleagues, uptight relatives and reproving mother, Wu weaves a ripe and quirky entertainment. Most wonderfully, as each character emerges, we see that they are not really what they seem on the surface. In the end, we see through these "faces" to some remarkable and identifiable people. The talented cast plays a big part in the film's joyous eloquence, most eminently Krusiec as the spunky daughter/surgeon. Lynn Chen is beguiling as her dancer lover, and Joan Chen is terrifically feisty as a dragonlady with her own dark secret.
"Saving Face"'s jaunty pace reflects the talented technical team. Cinematographer Harlan Bosmajian's compositions are packed with telling traits of character, and editors Susan Graef and Sabine Hoffman enliven the proceedings with a magical grace and rhythm.
SAVING FACE
Sony Pictures Classics
Overbrook Entertainment presents
a film by Alice Wu
Credits:
Producers: Teddy Zee, James Lassiter, Will Smith
Executive producers: John Penotti, Robin O'Hara, Scott Macauley
Director-screenwriter: Alice Wu
Line producer/unit production manager: Bergen Swanson
Production designer: Dan Ouellette
Director of photography: Harlan Bosmajian
Costume designer: Jill Newell
Editors: Susan Graef, Sabine Hoffman
Sound mixer: Noah Timan
Cast:
Wilhelmina Pang: Michelle Krusiec
Ma: Joan Chen
Vivian Liu: Lynn Chen
Wai Gung: Jim Wang
Wai Po: Guang Lan Koh
Randi: Jessica Hecht
Jay: Ato Essandoh
No MPAA rating,
Running time -- 98 minutes...
First-time filmmaker Alice Wu, who left a certain future in computer science to forge her spunky entertainment, exhibits a veteran's hand in balancing character with comedy. "Saving Face" is a frothy delight, robust with strong and conflicted characters. It often is deliriously funny, thanks to Wu's decidedly raunchy sensibility.
In this romance, Wilhelmina (Michelle Krusiec) suffers the same plague as many "perfect" daughters: She is constantly nagged by her Chinese-born mother (Joan Chen) and hounded by her grandparents, survivors of the Cultural Revolution. By most standards she is a success, a promising surgeon and personable young woman. Not surprisingly, she is regarded with concern and pity by her family elders -- at 29 she is unmarried and, indeed, seems a bit of a klutz with men. But, Wil has her standards, not falling for the rich, chauvinistic losers that she encounters at the frequent Chinese singles parties. And she carries a big secret.
With its idiosyncratic verve, it's hard to notice that "Saving Face" fits an old romantic formula, but in this case with a new spin: Girl gets girl-girl loses girl-girl gets girl. The other "girl" in this winning equation is a lithesome and talented dancer, Vivian (Lynn Chen), who wins Wil's heart.
Spinning her story through the minefields of Wil's professional colleagues, uptight relatives and reproving mother, Wu weaves a ripe and quirky entertainment. Most wonderfully, as each character emerges, we see that they are not really what they seem on the surface. In the end, we see through these "faces" to some remarkable and identifiable people. The talented cast plays a big part in the film's joyous eloquence, most eminently Krusiec as the spunky daughter/surgeon. Lynn Chen is beguiling as her dancer lover, and Joan Chen is terrifically feisty as a dragonlady with her own dark secret.
"Saving Face"'s jaunty pace reflects the talented technical team. Cinematographer Harlan Bosmajian's compositions are packed with telling traits of character, and editors Susan Graef and Sabine Hoffman enliven the proceedings with a magical grace and rhythm.
SAVING FACE
Sony Pictures Classics
Overbrook Entertainment presents
a film by Alice Wu
Credits:
Producers: Teddy Zee, James Lassiter, Will Smith
Executive producers: John Penotti, Robin O'Hara, Scott Macauley
Director-screenwriter: Alice Wu
Line producer/unit production manager: Bergen Swanson
Production designer: Dan Ouellette
Director of photography: Harlan Bosmajian
Costume designer: Jill Newell
Editors: Susan Graef, Sabine Hoffman
Sound mixer: Noah Timan
Cast:
Wilhelmina Pang: Michelle Krusiec
Ma: Joan Chen
Vivian Liu: Lynn Chen
Wai Gung: Jim Wang
Wai Po: Guang Lan Koh
Randi: Jessica Hecht
Jay: Ato Essandoh
No MPAA rating,
Running time -- 98 minutes...
- 1/27/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Like many an independent feature, "Colin Fitz" sports an impressive cast, displays some real wit and originality, and ultimately has very little reason for being. Robert Bella's debut film would have made a perfectly entertaining one-act play (and probably was at one point).
The title character is a legendary deceased rock star -- the legend goes that he committed suicide by eating bad clams -- whose gravesite invites unusual occurrences every year on the anniversary of his death. To forestall further such problems, Fitz's widow hires two hapless security guards to stand watch over the grave all night. The resulting clash of personalities, as well as a series of increasingly bizarre visitations, form the heart of the dialogue-heavy film.
One of the guards is Grady (Andy Fowle), a beer-drinking regular guy with opinions on everything. He proclaims that Neil Young's recording of "Rockin' in the Free World" brought about the fall of communism and that years from now a religion will spring up based upon the lyrics of John Lennon. His counterpart is Paul (Matt McGrath), a sensitive young man unimpressed with the trappings of security work and appalled by the behavior of the rock star's acolytes. Their boss, hilariously played by William H. Macy, is a self-important rent-a-cop with a fondness for cupcakes.
Among the visitors are the rocker's widow (Julianne Phillips), who decides that Paul has her late husband's spirit inside him.
Bella at least has the good sense to provide a nicely low-key air to the proceedings, and the deadpan comic performances by the mostly talented cast are another plus.
COLIN FITZ
Producers: Robert Bella, Thomas Mangan IV, Baby Shark Inc.
Director: Robert Bella
Screenplay: Tom Morrissey
Director of photography: Henry Cline
Editor: Susan Graef
Music: Pat Irwin
Color/stereo
Cast: Matt McGrath, William H. Macy, Andy Fowle, Julianne Phillips, Martha Plimpton, John C. McGinley, Mary McCormack
Running time -- 87 minutes
No MPAA rating...
The title character is a legendary deceased rock star -- the legend goes that he committed suicide by eating bad clams -- whose gravesite invites unusual occurrences every year on the anniversary of his death. To forestall further such problems, Fitz's widow hires two hapless security guards to stand watch over the grave all night. The resulting clash of personalities, as well as a series of increasingly bizarre visitations, form the heart of the dialogue-heavy film.
One of the guards is Grady (Andy Fowle), a beer-drinking regular guy with opinions on everything. He proclaims that Neil Young's recording of "Rockin' in the Free World" brought about the fall of communism and that years from now a religion will spring up based upon the lyrics of John Lennon. His counterpart is Paul (Matt McGrath), a sensitive young man unimpressed with the trappings of security work and appalled by the behavior of the rock star's acolytes. Their boss, hilariously played by William H. Macy, is a self-important rent-a-cop with a fondness for cupcakes.
Among the visitors are the rocker's widow (Julianne Phillips), who decides that Paul has her late husband's spirit inside him.
Bella at least has the good sense to provide a nicely low-key air to the proceedings, and the deadpan comic performances by the mostly talented cast are another plus.
COLIN FITZ
Producers: Robert Bella, Thomas Mangan IV, Baby Shark Inc.
Director: Robert Bella
Screenplay: Tom Morrissey
Director of photography: Henry Cline
Editor: Susan Graef
Music: Pat Irwin
Color/stereo
Cast: Matt McGrath, William H. Macy, Andy Fowle, Julianne Phillips, Martha Plimpton, John C. McGinley, Mary McCormack
Running time -- 87 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 11/10/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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