'Shortcomings' has a few of its own, but Justin H. Min offers a worthwhile rom-com twist
Typically in a romantic comedy, the audience hopes that the couple inevitably separated by circumstances of their own making will see the light and wind up together.
Which is what makes “Shortcomings” so different: Ben (Justin H. Min), the unlucky-in-love protagonist, is kind of a jerk.
Maybe more than kind of. And definitely of his own making. This also makes the film better — it hasn’t dispensed with rom-com tropes entirely, but it’s aware of them, plays with them, and lets you know that it knows what it’s doing.
Which means the director knows what he’s doing. Randall Park, the actor (“Fresh Off the Boat”) making his feature-directing debut with a script Adrian Tomine adapted from his graphic novel, displays a confidence here that is infectious.
There is still the not-inconsiderable hurdle of wanting to dump a bucket of slop on the protagonist for much of the movie, but you can’t have everything.
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What is the movie 'Shortcomings' about?
We get the idea of the film’s sensibility right off as we catch up with Ben (Justin H. Min) and Miko (Ally Maki) at the end of a screening that is a pretty catty parody of “Crazy Rich Asians.” The crowd loves the film. Miko loves the inclusion.
Ben? Well. … When he meets the filmmaker afterward, who asks for his opinion, Ben haltingly replies, “It’s quite the event.” I have interviewed a lot of actors and directors for films I didn’t like. If they ask you what you thought, the answer is almost always something like, “It was interesting.” It’s code for, “I didn’t like it.”
This is akin to that. Only about 10 times more impolite.
Ben and Miko argue. She thinks it’s a good-enough movie and its inclusion is important for other Asian and Asian American actors and filmmakers. He complains that it’s a sell-out. It’s an intriguing argument. It’s also clear that this isn’t the first time they’ve fought, and not just about inclusion in films.
Ben manages an art-house theater in Berkeley, California. When he’s not working, and not arguing with Miko, he hangs around with his best friend Alice (Sherry Cola, fantastic); they commiserate about their women problems.
Ben’s employees at the theater are a couple of goofball bozos (Scott Seiss and Jacob Batalon), but soon he hires Autumn (Tavi Gevinson), who is white and blond. This is important — Miko is pretty sure Ben has a fetish for white blond women (and has some computer browser history evidence to back it up).
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Justin H. Min as Ben Tanaka is a complicated balancing act
Miko departs for New York for an internship, leading to the inevitable Time Off. It takes Ben about 10 seconds to interpret this as a signal to ask out Autumn, who sings in a truly horrible performance art band and is working on an art project where she photographs the toilet every morning after she uses it.
When that doesn’t work out — who could have imagined — he sets his sights on Sasha (Debby Ryan), which Alice warns against. It’s no spoiler to say that this relationship doesn’t work out, either. But the breakup is pretty spectacular.
Alice gets suspended from school and moves to New York, where she finds a new romantic partner (Sonoya Mizuno). Events lead to Ben following, looking for Miko and all of the disasters that implies. And generally angering everyone around him.
It’s a much funnier movie than this probably makes it sound. As good as Cola is (very), Min manages a tricky balancing act: While his character is off-putting to almost everyone he comes into contact with, Min manages to allow a sliver of humanity, even charm, to seep through. Ben has a lot of work to do on himself, that much is clear — probably as clear to him as anyone.
“Shortcomings” has a few of its own. But it’s also got enough idiosyncratic performances to recommend it.
'Shortcomings' 3.5 stars
Great ★★★★★ Good ★★★★
Fair ★★★ Bad ★★ Bomb ★
Director: Randall Park.
Cast: Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki.
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual material and brief nudity.
How to watch: In theaters Friday, Aug. 4.
Reach Goodykoontz at [email protected]. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Shortcomings' review: Randall Park delivers rom-com with a twist