Saving Face Details

Must See! Great for dates or with friends and wine.

Alice Wu, a Chinese-American lesbian, directs the story of Wil, a Chinese-American lesbian surgeon who meets Vivien, a Chinese-American lesbian ballerina. Oh and the surgeon's pregnant Chinese mother moves in (who only speaks in Mandarin).

Wu's film sublimely explores the relationships between the settled Chinese-American community in Flushing Meadows, Queen, NYC, a Chinatown oasis. Wil (a lesbian surgeon) hides her sexuality from her mother, to 'save face', when suddenly her mother (who is widowed) mysteriously falls pregnant and is forced to move out of Flushing and in with her, for fear of shaming the idyllic Chinatown. Mother and daughter begin to explore their relationship, with 'Ma' soon discovering the delights of dating in Manhattan, alongside hardcore pornography.

Though this may seem like the 'nichiest' of niche comedies, the fantastic comedy and inventive satire tampers the strong themes of repression and sexuality, so you don't feel as if you're being preached to.

I don't want to give much away, but it's a shame this film didn't get a UK cinema release, as the ensemble cast work hard to deliver this balanced comedy, which is frequently hilarious. Racism, sexuality, and the idea of portraying an image to impress others are are all themes tackled here; don't let this slip you by. Plus you can't really go wrong with chinese lesbians.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Boring

Boring. I did not like it.