It may come as a surprise to you to find out that I’m not a huge fan of romantic comedies in general. I know, I know, but I find they tend to be a bit lacking in the zombies and vampires department. Still, I’m going to make a big exception for Alice Wu’s 2004 directorial debut Saving Face.
Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a young Chinese-American surgeon begins a relationship with her boss’s daughter, a dancer called Vivian (Lynn Chen). Then all hell breaks loose when Wil’s 48 year-old widowed mother, Hwei Lan Geo (Joan Chen), is discovered to be pregnant and is banished by her traditionalist father until she remarries or proves immaculate-conception. Wil is dismayed to find herself landed with her mother for a roommate, not least because she doesn’t want Ma finding out about her own secret lesbian relationship with Viv. So, she starts trying to set up her mother with every eligible bachelor she can find. But who is the father of Hwei Lan Geo’s baby? And is Wil ever going to stand up to her mother and save her own relationship before Viv gets tired of the excuses and flies off to a job in Paris?
Saving Face is a refreshing film, not least because lesbian films tend to privilege white lesbian experience, so it’s great to see a different perspective.
The script is very intelligent, funny and does not rely on stereotypes. It’s light comedy, but it touches on just enough serious issues to prevent it from becoming superficial, unlike say, Imagine Me and You, which is little more than a piece of fluff (post about that one to follow at some point). Saving Face takes a look at culture clash and immigrant experience and shows how these issues intersect with Wil and Viv’s specific experiences as young Chinese-American lesbians.
Lynn Chen and Michelle Krusiec are both excellent as Viv and Wil, but its Joan Chen’s performance that holds the film together. She’s absolutely wonderful, giving a beautiful, nuanced performance as a middle-aged Chinese woman who’s fallen in love for the first time and is caught between two worlds.
There are some good twists and finally everyone has to question to their assumptions and prejudices. It does have a big ‘Lesbian Fantasy Ending’ which stretches credibility, but overall, I think this is a great film.
Things As They Are 