Saving Face
Studio: The Criterion Assortment
Aug 25, 2025
Net Unique
Pictures by The Criterion Assortment
I’m going to kick off this evaluation with a daring declare: Alice Wu’s Saving Face (2007) belongs within the S-tier of the New York Metropolis romantic comedy canon. Certain, it’s far much less recognized than among the ‘quintessential’ NYC romcoms: Moonstruck, When Harry Met Sally and You’ve Bought Mail amongst them. However, by way of how New York is a driving factor of this lesbian love story—particularly, New York’s Chinese language neighborhood—Wu’s movie doubles as a love letter to the Massive Apple and its lovely mix of tradition, custom and modernity. Saving Face can be remarkably charming, a movie that may put a smile in your face from the second it will get began till its finish credit roll.
Saving Face follows Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a 28-year outdated closeted lesbian who most of her time working as a surgeon. When her divorced mom Hwei-Lan (Joan Chen) forces her to go to a big gathering in Flushing, she catches the attention of Vivian (Lynn Chen). After some intense flirting, the 2 secretly start seeing each other. On the identical time, stunning information hits Wil’s household: Hewi-Lan is pregnant (and she or he gained’t reveal who the daddy is). Humiliated and indignant, Wil’s grandfather kicks Hwei-Lan out of his home. With nowhere to go, Hwei-Lan strikes into Wil’s home.
These two storylines function in tandem. As Wil and Vivian get nearer to at least one one other, Wil feels extra stress to proceed hiding her sexuality from her mom. This more and more results in troubles in her relationship with Vivian. On the identical time, Hwei-Lan struggles to get by in a neighborhood the place repute is every part. At one level, she even forces Wil to go to the hair salon on her behalf to get the most recent gossip (unsurprisingly, everybody within the salon is speaking about Hwei-Lan’s being pregnant). As mom and daughter two continuously bicker with each other, it turns into apparent that they aren’t as dissimilar as they might assume.
Saving Face is an aptly-named movie and a strong examination on the pressures of being perceived by others. Just about each tradition is pushed by repute. Among the many hottest commodities: seems, monetary means and the power to adapt to society’s made-up guidelines and expectations. The thought of feeling like you need to cover features of your true self—for Wil, her sexuality; for her mom, her being pregnant and real love—is common. Wu’s script weaves by way of these complicated, delicate themes with exceptional ease. These concepts by no means really feel overdone, although, significantly as a result of Wu completely balances extra emotional scenes with comedic ones. You’ll be laughing one minute and tearing up the subsequent. In an age the place romantic comedies are largely thematically void, it’s refreshing to rewatch one that really has one thing to say.
Wu’s movie can be a real testomony to how the ‘coming-of-age’ story isn’t restricted by age. Though she could also be in her late-20s, Wil remains to be attempting to steadiness who she is and the way she desires to be understood by others. Hwei-Lan is in the identical boat. Confronted with a state of affairs that’s threatened her repute amongst her whole neighborhood, she tasks her insecurities onto Wil as a result of it’s simpler to deal with another person’s life than your individual. Their fixed combating takes on one other dimension when it turns into apparent how a lot the 2 characters are alike. Extra typically, the thought of ‘having to have issues found out’ by a sure age falls precisely into the movie’s argument of why sustaining repute may be so poisonous and demeaning. There isn’t one second the place every part clicks; we’re all simply figuring it out as we go alongside.
The Criterion Assortment’s bodily launch is one more traditional case of the boutique label spotlighting an absolute gem that deserves far more love (and it positively helps that the HD digital grasp seems nice). For individuals who love extras, you’ll discover an audio commentary with Wu herself, interviews with Wu and Chen and a much-appreciated assortment of deleted scenes included with the movie.
