Shortcomings

Shortcomings is a film I had been wanting to see for a while, but because of the underwhelmingly lukewarm response it received from other reviewers I was not in a hurry to spend my money just to be disappointed. But I am glad I finally watched it!

I'm definitely part of the target demographic which isn't strictly Asian-American, it's more of anti-romantic comedy for older urban Millennials who are still struggling with being adultier adults at 35 or 40. There was also a lot of queer representation. I started laughing out loud at the obvious dig at Crazy Rich Asians in the first five minutes. Yet there's also a poignant shift in perspective closer to the end of the story.

Ben is every "too cool to like anything" mildly toxic masculinity trope from my generation. Apart from the chip on his shoulder about being perceived as less macho as an Asian man, he's stereotypically every suburban white guy from younger Gen X or older Millennial high school and college who mocked people for liking certain bands, was always too full of himself to watch certain movies. I've had relationships with men like Ben when I was younger. I think calling him a narcissist is going a bit too far, but he's definitely immature and can be deeply unpleasant because his own insecurity in his masculinity makes him passive-aggressive and hostile like a permanently 17 year old black rain cloud on other people's joy.

His best friend, Alice, is an equally sharp-tongued and emotionally unavailable lesbian force to be reckoned with and her own growth over the arc of the story is implied to inspire Ben to finally grow up, too.

Of course, a protagonist can be a loser, but he or she has to have something of quality that the audience can fall in love with or even at least can relate to or root for. Ben is controlling, unfaithful, negative, and being a racist himself. Most importantly, he's the biggest hypocrite. All the other things, he can be loved by character development, but he does what he despises and criticizes without any moral conflict. That's when the audience drops any interest left in him. The ending is weak as well.

As Randall Park's directorial debut, 'Shortcomings' is not bad at telling the story and continuing it smoothly without any huge leap of logic.

I was interested enough to finish the movie and that says something but I wouldn't watch it again. The movie is about a few friends living in Berkley who are essentially all struggling. Ben Tenaka, his gay female friend Alice, and his girlfriend, Miko. Ben is a first class man boy jerk. Exhibit A in what is wrong with men today and why women are giving up on love and marriage. Ben is controlling, unfaithful, negative, a racist and a hypocrite. And shockingly his career and money prospects are poor, only being the manager of a small cinema.

We watch him as he drives off everyone in life with his toxic masculinity and I guess... are supposed to root for him in the end, that he will change. But the movie gives us no hint that is going to happen? For me the best part was his girlfriend telling him off... after leaving him. Though, he is unsupportive, sarcastic, soul crushing and unpleasant, when she tries to get away and claims to be doing an internship in New York, to let him down gently, after he messes around, confronts her for being unfaithful. Stunning but typical today. But confused as to why anyone would want to see a story about this.

Ok. I overrated it. It's not that something worth a 10/10. But I really enjoyed watching it. It reminds me when I'm young. When I don't know how to appreciate what I have. Keep chasing the feelings like trophy collection. Obsessed with one relationship. Biased. Sometimes frustrated. All of these are actually called growing up. It's a period of time, while you learn how to fight, how to let go and move on. Learn how to live with it en enjoy the moment. Learn how to appreciate and respect. Park, I think I got what you trying to say.

There are several times in the movie people used the term of "what age is he living in". I think that was a key of explaining some times we are deeply impacted by the ideals that we were educated or lectured during our childhood. One day when you wake up and start to think and selectively review these things we were taught, that's called maturity.

That's what this movie made me think of. Kinda deep. Again, I really enjoyed it.

"Shotcomings"... Man, I've had bigger laughs watching paint dry. I mean, the previews had me thinking this was going to be the comedy of the year. Remember those? Hilarious. But the movie? A couple of chuckles here and there, but mostly crickets. And what was up with that plot? More like "What plot?" If movies had arcs, this one was stuck in the flatlands. Honestly, by the end, I was just sitting there thinking, "Did we really need this movie in our lives?" I guess I set my hopes too high. Thought I was in for a comedy feast but left feeling like I just had a light snack. Bit of a letdown, tbh.