The story and narrative for the Reel 13 Indie SAVING FACE (from mid-September) is actually pretty good – interesting and engaging. Unfortunately, the execution leaves something to be desired. While director Alice Wu shows some skill and a handful of good ideas (I like how she shot the sequence of Joan Chen going through her daughter's fridge and trash and also the overhead shot of Wil and her new lover on the floor), but it seems to me that she needs to learn her craft a little more, particularly how to use editing to tell her story.
Firstly, it doesn't appear that she shot enough coverage, which certainly must have limited her options in the cutting room. The film needed more of a rhythm and I think mixing up the angles more could have aided in this regard. Secondly, and this is probably related to the coverage as well in a way, the film moves at a very slow pace. It never really picks up any energy, just sort of plodding along through its story, which dilutes any of the drama (or comedy) that the film was trying to evoke.
Another issue is the acting. While not entirely untrained like some of the other Reel 13 Indies we've seen, the performances on the whole are pretty broad and fails to capture the nuances of their characters. This is most damaging in the case of the lead character of Wil, as played by Michelle Krusiec. Everything she does seem forced – the angst, the neuroses, the homosexuality, the spit takes (yes, there are spit takes…). Nothing feels natural to her. I'm guessing that Wu was looking for a traditional romantic-comedy heroine type – a charismatic comedienne a la Meg Ryan or Sandra Bullock, but one that was also Asian and could seem realistic as a lesbian. Krusiec falls just short in almost all of those categories (except the Asian part, of course).
One significant exception on the performance front is Joan Chen, who I've heard, with her appearance in this film, is the first actor to have appeared on Reel 13 Classics and Reel 13 Indies. She plays the put-upon, suddenly pregnant, overbearing mother of Michelle Krusiec's character. She plays most (if not all) of her role in Chinese, but still manages to convey volumes of detailed, honest emotions. She hits every note whether it be comic or serious. She plays a character that believes strongly in the strict rules of her Chinese heritage and yet can't seem to quell her middle-aged sexual desires. Chen makes both sides of that conflict palpable. It's a remarkable performances and truly the main thing that keeps the film afloat during its 100 minutes.
(For more information on this or any other Reel 13 film, check out their website at www.reel13.org)