Fresh and Exciting

Brilliant and touching

It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

This comedy is about the impact of a pair of modern relationships on a traditional Chinese family in Flushing. It is amusing throughout, well acted and watchable.I found the story about Joan Chen the middle aged widow who finds herself knocked up quite funny. Joan is a versatile actress and it is nice to see her in a Chinese speaking role that is meant for Western audiences. The lesbian relationship of her daughter (Michele Kruseic) with a dancer (Lynn Chen) was a bit forced. Overall the dialog and situations are well written and the story comes together nicely.Overall entertaining and funny.

Saving Face centers on two women who need to get something out of their systems. One of them, a young Chinese woman surgeon, who is coming to terms with her sexual orientation of being a lesbian and desperately wants to tell her mother of her bias, but fears not for her reaction, but for her already deteriorating level of confidence and fondness for life. Her mother, on the other hand, is pregnant by a man she refuses to identify, leaving her ostracized and a societal blackboard for those with impressions and judgments to right on carelessly.The young woman is Wilhelmina, often called "Wil," played by Michelle Krusiec, and her mother is Hwei-lang Gao, played by the wonderful Joan Gao. Throughout the course of the film, Wil struggles to balance her prestigious job as a surgeon, carry on a relationship with the stunning Vivian (Lynn Chen), and juggle her mom's lack of confidence has her pregnancy continues on. We see that after being shunned and disgraced by her father, her only hope is her daughter Wil, who is almost obligated to welcome her into her home with open arms, seeing as she has nowhere else to go. Wil attempts to get her out in the dating game, much to the dismay of her mother, who feels inferior when she stares at Chinese women half her age.Coming-out cinema, often regarded as "queer cinema," which sounds more like a demonization, is beginning to channel the formula of heterosexual romantic comedies. The gay white character in present times doesn't shock or surprise audiences like he used to, and because of that, young, ambitious gay filmmakers are looking towards separate cultures and more intimate focuses in order to successfully pull off a unique film in the queer cinema movement. We can view that has subversion of a subversive genre, I suppose.Director Alice Wu (who after making this film in 2004, has gone on to do nothing since) makes the welcomed change to shift Saving Face into the morals and dilemmas of remaining culturally devoted despite being an enormous outcast. We see how bound to Chinese culture Wil is, which begins by taking her mother in even though she really doesn't need the extra weight provided, and persistently trying to find a date to reassure her confidence. Coming-out cinema would later reach a similar height when director Dee Rees released Pariah, a story about a young black girl embracing her sexuality in a seamy urban setting. Yet while Pariah appeared soaked in grit, Saving Face comfortably channels the comedic genre, accentuating a playful tone when necessary and a serious tone when applicable to the message of cultural devotion and homosexuality.It was a little stunning to watch the credits for this film and find Will Smith and his agent John Lassiter (not to be confused with Pixar's John Lasseter) holding producer's credits for this small indie picture. During this time, Will Smith was at the height of his game, and this same year released his fantasy action movie I, Robot and the animated film Shark Tale. What was his inspiration for funding a modest lesbian film churned out by a first time director and why was it not publicized? Starring: Michelle Krusiec, Joan Chen, and Lynn Chen. Directed by: Alice Wu.

This movie by far exceeds every possible bar: it's a wonderful lesbian story, it's a great cross-cultural movie, romantically it's moving, and it features an almost entirely Chinese/Chinese-American cast. Alice Wu has to receive much more praise for being the mastermind behind this magnificent project, and Lynn Chen, Michelle Krusiec and Joan Chen are nothing short of brilliant in their roles.To say this is a cute and humorous look at Wil's journey of self-discovery is trite and does not do this movie justice. Rather, I will refrain from providing a mere synopsis; on the other hand, I will comment that "Saving Face" has created a new bar for any romantic comedy AND for minority-interest films ("MIF"). I have found that for many MIF, there's always an unspoken pressure to convey the mandatory "we're minorities with our own cultures but we're still people (dammit)" message. Otherwise, you infuriate the people you're supposed to represent, while risking alienation of the people who aren't in said ethnic group. However, "Saving Face" not only bucks to this unspoken pressure, but overcomes it in 3 important ways: 1. It's a romantic story that parallels Wil's budding relationship with Vivian, another community member who had a crush on Wil since they were little (or had that initial crush that was rekindled when they met again 19 yrs later). It's formulaic in that girl meets girl, but it's not in that girl now needs to choose between her individual self versus tradition and family... which doesn't leave much room for "I".2. Following the logic of the above point, it also achieves the task of showing a Chinese-American's "tango" through her adult life and how it clashes with her traditional upbringing. We see that for the majority of her life, Wil's relented her needs and wants in favor of "saving face," but slowly she realizes (through her mom, no less!) that she needs to sever some of these ties if she wants to live her life and be happy... and believe me, for us "traditionalist upbringing folk," this is not so simple! There is no "ME" in any traditional family, whether American, Asian, Middle Eastern, African, etc. (Yes, there is irony to be had in that one.) This message is especially important, and I don't think it's restricted to the Chinese-American community. Yes, it may vary in degrees in varying cultures, but the movie does make the point that any strong family-centered family highly discourages individualism. This is contrasted with Vivian's more permissive and highly tolerant family, which is anything but traditional.3. Perhaps it's the incredible build-up discussed in points 1 & 2 that make this romantic comedy work. I usually detest romantic comedies because there's really nothing new about them - protagonist A and love object B will end up together in the end. (Otherwise, it can't be called a romantic comedy *BARF*) However, "Saving Face" works great as a romantic comedy because the audience receives something that is so lacking in this genre: investment into the characters. We see Wil and Ma each have so much to lose, and yet they decide to follow their hearts and are the better for it. Wil is especially brave for deciding to let go of all of the conformity and filial duty she's been ingrained with so that she can have the freedom that has been denied to her for 28 years, WHILE maintaining that connection to Ma. That, to me, made their romances that much more special. At the end, you're rooting for BOTH Ma & Wil. You don't care any more about what the community will think, or of Grandpa's honor. You know that in the end, people will get over it but you're not sure whether love will conquer all... and that's such a disquieting sensation because you WANT love to work out. For everyone. That's why it's also a great romantic comedy.I loved this movie. I truly believe that as an Asian-American minority, I am both relieved this movie was made and outraged there aren't more positive representations of minorities in mainstream Hollywood. Go Mr. Will Smith for helping the advancement of minorities everywhere!

In Manhattan, the brilliant Chinese-American lesbian surgeon Wil (Michelle Krusiec) is surprised by the arrival of her forty-eight years old widow mother (Joan Chen) to her apartment. Ma was banished from Flushing, Queens, when her father discovered that she was pregnant. The presence of Ma affects the personal life of Wil, who is in love with the daughter of her boss in the hospital, the dancer Vivian Shing (Lynn Chen). Once her grandfather has promised that her mother would only return to Flushing remarried or proving that it was an immaculate conception, Wil tries to find a bachelor Chinese to marry Ma."Saving Face" is a delicate and delightful romance that explores the clash of cultures of different generations in a Chinese community. The quote: "- The world is getting too hard to predict" defines the conflictive situation of the conservative old generation seeing the modifications of behavior in the younger generations raised in a different culture in their new country. The gorgeous actresses have convincing performances is this entertaining fell-good romantic comedy. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Livrando a Cara" ("Saving Face")