I like films that tell interesting stories, the more detail the better. Also, films which relate to a particular culture are pretty interesting too, because they expose you to a totally different concept of tradition, values etc. So, I recently picked up 2 films which are from different cultures, one Spanish “Maria full of grace” and the other the Chinese-English film “Saving Face”.
“Saving Face” told the story of a young, female, Chinese doctor in New York. Wilhelmina (Michelle Krusiec), the doctor has her Chinese family living in Queens while she lives in her own apartment. She has been raised by her widowed mother (Joan Chen), and her grandparents (Jin Wang and Guang Lan Ko), and her mother lives with the grandparents. This film had rather “desi” sensibilities, in the sense that parents have “power” over children (ie; you’d better RESPECT your parents), girls are better married, single/unwed mothers/gay people are not popular. And ofcourse there are other little things, well and humorosly portrayed.
OK, so say you, now where’s the action ? We have a good doctor, and then what ? Well we have a young doctor who’s lesbian (gasp! and Chinese!) and who’s mother having been widowed for 15 years, is pregnant once again. The father ofcourse none knows much about ! So it’s the typical desi setup all over again. Wil’s grandfather throws Wil’s mom out of the house for being pregnant and “dis-honoring” (now that concept is SO desi) him, so she moves in with Wil. Wil’s lovelife is therefore hampered just when she’s met the love of her life, gorgeous ballet dancer Vivian (Lynn Chen), and she dare not let anyone know that she has a (gasp!) “girlfriend”.
How are Wil’s and Wil’s mom’s lives going to be non-messy again ?
This film was funny, especially because I identified with the “culture” so to speak, it was very desi-like. I also liked the fact that the Chinese community seemed more open and accepting than a “desi” one would have been, and there was room for change in there. The movie was also very touching because it tackled very real issues, sensitively and humanely.
An official selection of both the Sundance and Toronto Film Festivals, “Saving Face” is written and directed by Alice Wu.
Categories : _films , _film_reviews
