Director: Randall Park
Starring: Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Sonoya Mizuno, Timothy Simons, Jacob Batalon, Stephanie Hsu, and Ronny Chieng
Movie Length: 1 hour 32 minutes
What’s it about: A group of young Bay Area residents (played by Justin Min, Ally Maki, and Sherry Cola) as they travel the country in search of the ideal connection.
What Vanessa thought: This movie reminded me of how insufferable some people from the San Francisco Bay Area can be, suggesting that those who want to mature and become better people often leave for New York to grow up. Meanwhile, the main character, Ben, remains stuck in a never-ending loop of self-victimization, while his partner and friends have moved on, leaving him trapped in the past. Which he does not take to kindly too.
That being said, I absolutely loved Shortcomings! The casting was brilliantly balanced, featuring a mix of established actors alongside promising newcomers. The scenery was incredibly realistic which allows for easy connection to the story. It made you realize that you either need to eliminate the ‘Ben’ character from your life, or come to understand that there’s a ‘Ben’ character lurking in your own friend group.
Randall Park if you see this you did an amazing job!
It was evident that the story was written by a Californian – Adrian Tomine (author and illustrator) who really hit the nail on the head with these characters perfectly. In California, where people can insulate themselves in their own spaces and routines due its car centric culture. While in New York, everyone is forced to coexist due to its high density living, public transportation, and shared public spaces. New Yorkers are constantly exposed to different cultures, perspectives, and lifestyles. This is not to say one state is better than the other, but when it comes to coexistence and embracing diversity, New York has its own advantages that set it apart from California.
Vanessa’s grade: B+. The movie dragged at times, but overall it resonated deeply with my personal experiences.
Shortcomings was reviewed out of the Tribeca Film Festival, and will be released by Sony Pictures Classics on August 4, 2023 in the US.
