Ben (Justin H. Min; After Yang) is a young filmmaker who lives in Berkeley, CA, and manages a small art house theater. Despite his obsession with white, blonde women, he has a girlfriend, Miko (Ally Maki; Hacks), who works for a local Asian American film festival. He only has one real friend, Alice (Sherry Cola; Good Trouble), thanks to his cynical outlook and know-it-all personality. When Miko is invited to New York for an internship, Ben is presented with an opportunity to face the truth about others and, most importantly, himself.
Shortcomings is a refreshing film about flawed humanity. Told through an Asian American lens, the movie hits on hot topics like sexuality and harmful stereotypes all while keeping things witty and thoughtful. This is due to a great script adapted by Adrian Tomine from his own graphic novel of the same name. The cast is excellent. Even though Ben is hard to root for, Min’s performance is well done. Cola brings in some comedy while Maki adds some drama. With a great script and noteworthy cast, Randall Park’s directorial debut has all the right stuff.
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