Shortcomings has its flaws but is one of the few pieces of media that captures the modern world and the climate of being an Asian in America well.
In the day of modern political commentaries we see many come and go but “Shortcomings” is one that will stick with audiences for a while. While perfectly capturing the Asian-American climate in our world, “Shortcomings” also delivers a hilarious script and some characters you can’t help but hate.
“Shortcomings” is actor Randall Park’s directorial debut and this is a great first entry to his filmography because of how brutally honest it is. Looking back at other popular Asian-American films like “Crazy Rich Asians”, we can see similarities in the inter-cultural commentary but “Shortcomings” takes it to a new level that I hope we see more of in Hollywood.
Based on the novel of the same title and written by Adrian Tomine, this film centers around 3 characters Ben, Alice and Miko and their inter-cultural problems. From jobs to dating life, Randall Park captures these sometimes too cliché elements and makes them engaging, funny, and emotional.
I think all of the characters were well written but Justin H. Min as Ben was by far the standout. A ‘film-bro’ and failed writer, now the boss at his local theater who has an obsessive personality, gets a reality check from those in his life. It is tough to watch, but that means the writing did it’s job.
All of these things that seem depressing but the humor somehow lands. Whether is be the writing or great performance from Justin H. Min, this character feels very pretentious but down to earth at the same time.
On the complete opposite Ally Maki plays his ‘love-interest’ Miko. Every character has their pros and cons and none of them can be see as ‘good or bad’. As someone in the Asian-American community, there is a level of integration into the American culture and Randall Park shows both side of this really well.
The main character, Ben, fits into a lot of stereotypes for young Asian men in American and Miko for young Asian women – seeing these 2 stereotypes clash head on is executed in a way that allows for the audience to not be biased one way or another but still keeps it entertaining because of crazy decisions the characters make.
At times I saw parts of myself in not only the 2 main characters but every Asian character in the film because the representation doesn’t feel overdone and cliché.
When making a comedy about culture it is easy to create a very boring environment filled with jokes we have seen time and time again but Randall Park navigates it in such a way that it makes sense for certain jokes to be said. What this film does so well is that there are characters designated to making sometimes cringey jokes, who generally would be known as the comedic relief – but in Shortcomings these characters are also handed a lot of emotional weight making for a really well balanced comedy to drama ratio.
There is also a lot of really funny ‘meta-comedy’ that ties into Asian-American representation in Hollywood, one specifically referring to Crazy Rich Asians, and it was really nice to see this comedy in a non-cringey and character progressing way.
Additionally, Shortcomings comes in at a quick 1 hour and 30 minutes which makes it a perfect quick comedy. There is a handful of emotional weight that the movie does drag around towards the end, but it all feels worth it coming off of a pretty lighthearted first two acts. The emotional elements are engrained in Asian-American culture and stereotypes but not in an outward sense.
It doesn’t feel like the comedy is there to make a specific audience laugh but rather the writers understood that there is comedy in experiences that us as Asian-Americans go through and they used that to their advantages.
At the end of the day Shortcomings does have some flaws but overall it is one of the few pieces of media that captures the modern world and the climate of being an Asian in America near perfectly.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
NEXT: Theater Camp Review (2023 Movie)
About Shortcomings
Ben, a struggling filmmaker, lives in Berkeley, California, with his girlfriend, Miko, who works for a local Asian American film festival. When he’s not managing an art house movie theater as his day job, Ben spends his time obsessing over unavailable blond women, watching Criterion Collection DVDs, and eating in diners with his best friend, Alice, a queer grad student with a serial dating habit.
When Miko moves to New York for an internship, Ben is left to his own devices and begins to explore what he thinks he might want.
Cleverly and precisely scripted by Adrian Tomine (based on his own acclaimed graphic novel of the same title), the delightful Shortcomings is Randall Park’s assured directorial debut. Exposing a multiplicity of Asian American identities in a fresh and groundbreaking way, the film is poised to challenge audiences with its protagonist Ben — who is cynical and snobbish with a dash of charm — gamely played by Justin H. Min.
With wit, humor, and a deep understanding of being an outsider within a marginalized community, Shortcomings embraces the complexity of being human, flaws and all.
Shortcomings played at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
