Saving Face

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")

I was lucky enough to get into "Saving Face" on its opening night at the AMC on 42nd St. in NY. It was sold out and for good reason! It was a delightful yet thought-provoking romantic comedy with some important social undertones. The portrayal of three generations of Chinese- Americans included a lovely lesbian love story, a pregnant older Ma, and all sorts of complications and funny funny twists. Lots of laughing out loud- and the audience (very diverse) was REALLY into it... I laughed and cried. And you heard it here first-- Lynn Chen, who convincingly played the ballerina role, is a star waiting to happen. She is just gorgeous, a fine actress, and delightful to watch. All the acting is top-notch. I want everyone to see it so we can support interesting and enjoyable independent movies that open our minds just a little bit!

It must hard for anyone in certain ethnic cultures to come out to parents that view homosexuality as a their worst nightmare. This seems to be Alice Wu's point at the center of her film "Saving Face", her debut movie that has a lot going for it and should be seen by more people because it has a lot of good things going for it.

Alice Wu has directed a movie that has all the right ingredients for a funny comedy. She treats her subject matter with dignity and with taste. We never feel Ms. Wu wants to show explicit sex in order to shock us. On the contrary, the one scene in the movie showing nudity is done elegantly and makes its point without being tacky.

The film seems to point out to what extent certain things are seen as taboo in an ethnic group living in their own secluded circle, not accepting the American culture because of what they perceive as dangerous and evil influences for them and their children. Which is the case of Wil's being gay and having the courage to tell her mother about it. At the same time, Wil's own mother has sinned, as far as her own parents are concerned, because she has become pregnant after living many years as a widow, dedicated to raising a daughter. This is a double whammy for the family that has strong social ties in the community.

As Wil, Michelle Krusiec is good; this young actress shows promise because she does a lot effortlessly. As her love interest, Lynn Chen, makes a beautiful Vivian, the dancer that wins Wil's love. Of course, the best thing in the film is Joan Chen. She makes the mother at the center of the movie mature and accept all the changes fate has thrown her way. These three actresses make "Saving Face" well worth seeing.

No doubt Alice Wu will go to bigger and better things since she shows a promise that is amazing.

This first time director/author has made a movie that will have universal appeal. Although the main part of the plot centers on two Chinese women who are successful professionals and are love with each other, the movie is not "about" Chinese people or "about" lesbians. The story concerns how two interesting people deal with cultural taboos, with their places in the culture and in their families, and with the demands of their respective careers (surgeon and ballerina). But, even with this serious backdrop, the story is told with humor; there are more laughs and smiles than tears. When you see the movie, note how beautifully the romance between these protagonists develops.

It's likely that this movie will have limited distribution, at least at the the beginning. Look for it. You will be glad you did.

I just saw this at Sundance. Alice Wu is a first-time director, yet this is one of the best movies I have seen in some time. It is funny, yet tells a beautiful and complex story about communication, traditions and love. It did not look like a low budget independent film at all. The acting, cinematography and music were all beautifully done. One could tell this was an important story to all those involved and that they worked very hard to get it to the final product. The characters are not stereotypes but honest portrayals of Chinese Americans dealing with older traditions in modern America. We are all immigrants, we are all human and make mistakes while struggling for acceptance in society. Sometimes it is what we don't say that effects our lives most.