Shortcomings

Shortcomings is a very well made and acted slice of life type of movie. It's a comedy with full of heart. I love this flick. The directorial debut of Randall Park (who does a cameo) is an assured work. Must watch whether you're of Asian descent or not because there are many things relatable here, especially for those who've lived the single life and all its entanglements, or if they're still in the midst of their younger version.

It depicts many relatable themes like struggles, self doubt, finding love, heartache, friendship, family - - all with the brevity and lightness that's just right that it doesn't go too deep and depressing and it isn't too over the top funny.

The lead Ben (Justin Min) is someone you'd either relate to or know someone like that. Seems shallow, a bit of a prick, and still wandering about life. His good friend Alice is a lesbian (Sherry Cola) who's also living her best life (sort of); she even asks him to pretend to be her bf to placate her conservative Korean parents. (source of good comedy; it was also in one of the trailers so this isn't a spoiler). Sherry steals the show and provides great friendship chemistry with Justin. It's also a pretty funny movie at the right doses. Love to see Sonoya Mizuno (La La Land and Craxy

Wonderful job by Randall Park and the cast and crew. I highly recommend this.

Plus it's funny!

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.

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.

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.

Greetings again from the darkness. In the past twenty years, Randall Park has built an excellent acting career, likely best known as nice guy dad, husband, and restauranteur on the long-running TV series "Fresh Off the Boat". He also had prominent roles in the mini-series "WandaVision", "Veep", and the Ant-Man movies. Now taking his shot as a feature film director, Mr. Park sticks closely to the Asian community, while simultaneously taking a step forward by not emphasizing generational aspects and familiar cultural tropes. He's working from a script that Adrian Tomine adapted from his own graphic novel.

The film opens with Miko (Ally Maki, "Wrecked") and Ben (Justin H Min, AFTER YANG) watching the end of a film festival movie. It plays as a parody of the hugely successful CRAZY RICH ASIANS (2018) and leads to contrasting reactions and an argument for Miko and Ben. Miko is the curator of the film festival and is thrilled the movie received such positive audience reactions, while Ben, a struggling indie filmmaker, is totally offput by the film's pandering and mass appeal. We quickly realize Ben is a condescending jerk and Miko is fed up.

Ben manages a small arthouse movie theater in Berkeley and often has lunch at a local diner with his only other friend, Alice (a terrific Sherry Cola, JOY RIDE), who points out that his smugness doesn't play well with others. Alice is gay and laughs off her tendency to 'play the field'. Miko calls out Ben on his blonde, blue-eyed white girl fetish, and then soon after announces she is taking an internship in New York City, causing us to realize this movie is probably going to deal with Ben's road to redemption (hopefully resulting in a worthwhile human being).

With Miko living across the country, Ben seems to be at his most comfortable with Classic Movies and solo chill. He's a film school dropout with no filter and no sense of timing with his comments and critiques. Basically, he's not a likable guy, and we see this in his separate pursuit of two blond, blue-eyed white girls. He hires performance artist Autumn (Tavi Gevinson) to work the ticket booth at the theater, and has no idea how to deal with her emotional swings and artistic leanings. Things are even worse with Sasha (Debby Ryan), who is coming off a breakup with her girlfriend. Despite warnings from Alice to stay clear, Ben's pompous nature is once again exposed, leaving him all alone.

Ben's world changes abruptly when Alice informs him she is also moving to New York and invites him to come visit. He sees this as a chance to get back together with Miko, who has quasi-ghosted him since she left. When Ben arrives, he finds Alice living with Meredith (Sonoya Mizuno, EX MACHINA) in a serious relationship, and stumbles on Miko in a situation that causes confusion, and of course, conflict. Leon (Timothy Simons, "Veep") is a NYC fashion designer with an Asian fetish plays a key role in this segment.

The film is billed as a comedy, and while there are some funny moments, there is actually a sadness throughout ... most of it related to how most everyone is searching for love while trying to avoid loneliness. During this search, we are often our own worst enemy (Ben being the prime example here). The message here is that while we are all flawed, one can only find joy once they sincerely enjoy the happiness of others. Watching Ben's journey is not always a pleasant viewing experience, however his story is well told.

In theaters beginning August 4, 2023.