{"id":542805,"date":"2023-01-24T07:16:05","date_gmt":"2023-01-24T04:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/shortcomings-review-a-charming-cast-backs-randall-parks-so-so-directorial-debut\/"},"modified":"2023-01-24T07:16:05","modified_gmt":"2023-01-24T04:16:05","slug":"shortcomings-review-a-charming-cast-backs-randall-parks-so-so-directorial-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/shortcomings-review-a-charming-cast-backs-randall-parks-so-so-directorial-debut\/","title":{"rendered":"#\u2018Shortcomings\u2019 Review: A Charming Cast Backs Randall Park\u2019s So-So Directorial Debut"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dc2cdcfee3\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a3dc2cdcfee3\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/shortcomings-review-a-charming-cast-backs-randall-parks-so-so-directorial-debut\/#%E2%80%98Shortcomings_Review_A_Charming_Cast_Backs_Randall_Parks_So-So_Directorial_Debut\" >\u2018Shortcomings\u2019 Review: A Charming Cast Backs Randall Park\u2019s So-So Directorial Debut<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/shortcomings-review-a-charming-cast-backs-randall-parks-so-so-directorial-debut\/#Shortcomings\" >Shortcomings<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/shortcomings-review-a-charming-cast-backs-randall-parks-so-so-directorial-debut\/#Full_credits\" >Full credits<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/shortcomings-review-a-charming-cast-backs-randall-parks-so-so-directorial-debut\/#THR_Newsletters\" >THR Newsletters<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%98Shortcomings_Review_A_Charming_Cast_Backs_Randall_Parks_So-So_Directorial_Debut\"><\/span>\u2018Shortcomings\u2019 Review: A Charming Cast Backs Randall Park\u2019s So-So Directorial Debut<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    There\u2019s a rather clever wink-wink opening to actor Randall Park\u2019s debut feature as a director, <em>Shortcomings<\/em>, which, when all is said and done, mostly fails to deliver on its promise.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    A young couple, the aspiring filmmaker, Ben (Justin H. Min), and his girlfriend, Miko (Ally Maki), are watching what\u2019s clearly a spoof of <em>Crazy Rich Asians<\/em> at a Bay Area film festival. Ben loathes it for being a \u201cgarish mainstream rom-com that glorifies a capitalistic fantasy,\u201d while Miko think it\u2019s a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/game\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"7\" title=\"Game\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">game<\/a> changer\u201d that will allow aspiring Asian-American directors to make something \u201ccooler, more artsy or whatever.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"review-summary-card\">\n<div class=\" lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-a-125 u-background-color-honey-light \">\n<div class=\"lrv-u-flex lrv-u-flex-direction-column u-width-275@tablet u-border-b-1@mobile-max u-border-r-1@tablet u-border-dotted lrv-u-margin-r-150 lrv-u-padding-r-150 lrv-u-margin-r-00@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-r-00@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-b-125@mobile-max lrv-u-margin-b-075@mobile-max\">\n<h3 id=\"title-of-a-story\" class=\"c-title  lrv-u-font-family-primary u-font-size-34 u-font-size-38@desktop-xl lrv-u-line-height-small lrv-u-margin-b-125 \"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shortcomings\"><\/span>\n<p>                    Shortcomings        <\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>                    <span class=\"lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-font-family-accent lrv-u-font-weight-bold lrv-u-color-brand-primary lrv-u-font-size-16 lrv-u-display-block\">The Bottom Line<\/span><br \/>\n                    <span class=\"c-span  u-font-size-22@tablet u-font-style-italic lrv-u-font-family-secondary\"><\/p>\n<p>    An <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ealingly acted but watered-down dramedy.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"lrv-u-line-height-large a-children-icon-spacing-none lrv-u-font-family-accent lrv-u-font-size-18\">\n<p>                            <strong>Venue: <\/strong>Sundance Film Festival (U.S. Dramatic Competition)<br \/><strong>Cast:<\/strong> Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki<br \/><strong>Director:<\/strong> Randall Park<br \/><strong>Screenwriter:<\/strong> Adrian Tomine, based on his graphic novel<br \/><span><br \/>\n                                1 hour 32 minutes           <\/span>\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    <em>Shortcomings<\/em> is, alas, not that cool and artsy movie \u2014 nor is it the glossy popcorn bling-a-thon that turned <em>Asians<\/em> into a worldwide smash. It\u2019s more like the kind of standard Sundance-bound dramedy we\u2019ve seen lots of times before, albeit with a charming cast and some sharp bits of commentary on race, identity and gender that come courtesy of screenwriter Adrian Tomine, who adapted his 2007 graphic novel of the same title. After premiering in the main competition at Park City, it will hit theaters via Roadside Attractions, but will probably attract more eyeballs on the small screen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    Divided into short chapters just like Tomine\u2019s comic books, the film follows the snobbish and misanthropic Ben as he navigates a dead-end life in Berkeley, where he works at a neighborhood movie theater and lives in the swank apartment of the crazy rich Miko, who, like Ben, is Japanese American. Although the two have been together for some time, their relationship seems to be at a standstill, so when Miko takes off for an internship in New York, Ben sees this as a moment to go after the women he\u2019s been fantasizing about \u2014 as evidenced by the abundant porn Miko discovers on his laptop.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    The fact that the porn stars are all white women seems to pose more of a problem for Miko than the porn itself, but Ben doesn\u2019t want to hear it. He\u2019s a born contrarian who refuses to recognize that his race can be an issue at all \u2014 unless, that is, when it suits him to do so. But mostly he fails to hear what both Miko and his best friend, the snarky and girl-crazy Alice (Sherry Cola), have been trying to tell him all along: that the main problem with Ben is Ben.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    It\u2019s a familiar premise \u2014 the cynical anti<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> dude who will go through some stuff and learn a valuable life lesson \u2014 and it tends to head in familiar directions as Ben, now semi-single, navigates the Bay Area dating scene, first hitting on an employee (Tavi Gevinson) and striking out before hooking up with a girl on the rebound (Debby Ryan) in a short-lived fling again tested by Ben\u2019s contradictory feelings about race. Eventually he winds up in New York, reconnecting with bestie Alice and hoping, more out of desperation than any real love or devotion, to perhaps rekindle the flame with Miko.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    That Ben is not the most likable of guys is not really the problem here \u2014 nobody wants their protagonists to be goody two-shoes and perfect bores. The problem is the overall blandness of the plotting and humor, which lacks the bite of some of the comedies Park himself has starred in (<em>Fresh Off the Boat<\/em>, <em>The Interview<\/em>) and the bark of Tomine\u2019s terrific output as a graphic novelist (<em>Summer Blonde<\/em>, <em>Killing and Dying<\/em>), where characters are often guided by a lonely and desperate yearning for identity that can never be fulfilled. (The French director Jacques Audiard more successfully adapted several of Tomine\u2019s works into the 2021 drama <em>Paris, 13<sup>th<\/sup> District<\/em>, an altogether darker movie than this.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    Park has put together a strong cast, and Min (<em>The Umbrella Academy<\/em>, <em>After Yang<\/em>) carries the lead role well, managing to give Ben some of the edge he needs while still making him a guy we\u2019re supposed to root for. Maki and Cola are convincing as two women who see Ben quite differently and yet see through him as well, while a few good cameos \u2014 especially one by <em>Veep<\/em>\u2019s hilarious Timothy Simons \u2014 round out the troupe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph larva \/\/  a-font-body-m     \">\n    The direction otherwise doesn\u2019t have much to distinguish it, and here perhaps a word to the wise: There are a few scenes in <em>Shortcomings<\/em> where Ben watches classic films by the likes of Truffaut, Ozu and Cassavetes, longing for their greatness and even admitting at one point that he\u2019s no Eric Rohmer, to cite another idol of his. The problem is that we, as viewers, also can\u2019t help comparing what we\u2019re watching to whatever Ben is admiring, and it makes the, um, shortcomings stand out even more. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"review-full-cast \/\/ \">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  a-font-primary-xs lrv-u-border-b-1 lrv-u-border-color-grey lrv-u-padding-tb-050\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Full_credits\"><\/span>\n<p>        Full credits<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>            Venue: Sundance Film Festival (U.S. Dramatic Competition)<br \/>Production companies: Topic Studios, Tango Entertainment, Imminent Collision, Picture Films, Roadside Attractions<br \/>Cast: Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki, Debby Ryan, Tavis Gevinson, Sonoya Mizuno, Jacob Batalon, Timothy Simons<br \/>Director: Randall Park<br \/>Screenwriter: Adrian Tomine, based on his graphic novel<br \/>Producers: Margot Hand, Randall Park, Hieu Ho, Jennifer Berman, Howard Cohen, Eric D\u2019Arbeloff, Michael Golamco<br \/>Executive producers: Ryan Heller, Michael Bloom, Jennifer Semler, Maria Zuckerman, Tim Headington, Lia Buman, Max Silva, Neil Shah, Ryan Paine, Daniel Hank, Adrian Tomine<br \/>Director of photography: Santiago Gonzalez<br \/>Production designer: Bill Boes<br \/>Costume designer: Ava Yuriko Hama<br \/>Editor: Robert Nassau<br \/>Composer: Gene Beck<br \/>Casting director: Nicole Abellera Hallman<br \/>Sales: UTA, WME<br \/><span><br \/>\n                                1 hour 32 minutes           <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"newsletter-cta\">\n<div class=\"lrv-u-margin-tb-125 lrv-u-margin-tb-150@desktop-xl lrv-u-padding-tb-2 lrv-u-flex lrv-u-justify-content-space-between lrv-u-border-t-1 lrv-u-border-b-1 lrv-u-align-items-center lrv-u-flex-direction-column@mobile-max lrv-u-padding-a-2@mobile-max\">\n<div class=\"lrv-u-text-align-center@mobile-max\">\n<h2 id=\"section-heading\" class=\"c-heading larva  a-font-primary-xs lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"THR_Newsletters\"><\/span>\n<p>        THR Newsletters<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"c-tagline  a-font-secondary-italic-s lrv-u-margin-a-00 lrv-u-margin-b-150@mobile-max\">Sign up for THR <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> straight to your inbox every day<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>    <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"c-button larva  lrv-a-unstyle-button lrv-u-cursor-pointer lrv-u-padding-tb-075 lrv-u-padding-lr-150 lrv-u-border-color-brand-accent lrv-u-border-a-1 a-font-accent-bold-s lrv-u-text-transform-uppercase lrv-u-color-brand-accent u-margin-l-150@tablet\" href=\"https:\/\/cloud.email.hollywoodreporter.com\/signup\/\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"c-button__inner \"><br \/>\n        Subscribe   <\/span><\/p>\n<p>            <span class=\"lrv-a-screen-reader-only\">Sign Up<\/span><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><script type=\"text\/plain\" class=\"optanon-category-C0004\">\n!function(f, b, e, v, n, t, s) {\nif (f.fbq) return;\nn = f.fbq = function() {n.callMethod ? n.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments);};\nif (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n;\nn.push = n;\nn.loaded = !0;\nn.version = '2.0';\nn.queue = [];\nt = b.createElement(e);\nt.async = !0;\nt.src = v;\ns = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\ns.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s);\n}(window, document, 'script', 'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\nfbq('init', '352999048212581');\nfbq('track', 'PageView');\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. 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A young couple, the aspiring filmmaker, Ben (Justin H. Min), and his girlfriend, Miko&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":542806,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Shortcomings-Still-1-copy-H-2022.jpg?w=1024","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[55357,137585,29333],"class_list":["post-542805","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-randall-park","tag-sundance-2023","tag-sundance-film-festival"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542805","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542805"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542805\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542806"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542805"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542805"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542805"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}