Saving Face at SIFF

Saving Face fits the bill as a Romantic Comedy, and does so through the perspective of a Chinese-American family of three generations. What I liked about the film was that the story looks at the differences between the generations - a traditional father and grandfather who would rather lose a daughter than lose face; his daughter who is torn between her secret love and her dedication to the traditional father; and her twenty-something lesbian daughter who, because of the other two, is having real trouble going public with her sexuality. This clashing of values of the old world and the new is underscored by the use of language - between Chinese and English throughout the fim, sometimes with one character speaking English and the response given in Chinese.

So, overall, it's a great film and I recommend it. My only regret is that, since the characters (all except one, the lesbian's African-American neighbor) are all so closed about their feelings, I never really got to know any of them. I would have liked the film to allow the viewer in a little more. Perhaps I'm over-analyzing. Anyone who wants to see a fun, likeable film, will enjoy this one.