Alice Wu's "Saving Face" kicked off the 2005 VC Film Festival also known as the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival. I love that the writer basically describes the movie as a romantic comedy for those us who are sick of Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts, because quite frankly we are.
It's great to be aware of films that cover Hollywood-like genres without the all-American ideals. In my experience the only romantic comedies I have ever been exposed to are straight out of Hollywood played by all of America's typical actor/actress sweethearts like Hugh Grant, Matt Damon, Josh Hartnett, Sandra Bullock, etc. and we've seen the commericals. In recent years as I have become more aware of my own cultural values, I have increasingly noticed the white-American ways of living life that are projected in these films that challenge Asian mindsets. Thus I have become slightly turned off to many American-made films. However it seems to me that fillms like "Saving Face" offer Asian-Americans a chance to experience a well-made movie without the challenging cultural questions.
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