After reading a short synopsis of Shortcomings, an indie film about a movie obsessed young man and his love life, I expected a cute little comedy. What I actually got was something much better. While there are some big laughs scattered throughout this comedy-drama, the movie is much deeper and more serious than your average indie comedy.
Ben (Justin H. Min) is a Korean-American film snob managing a movie theater in the Bay Area. He has a devoted Asian girlfriend, Miko (Ally Maki), but that doesn't stop Ben from eyeing up white girls every chance he gets. When Miko gets a three month long internship in New York, Ben's life begins to turn upside down. He turns to his lesbian best friend, Alice (Sherry Cola), for advice, but in his arrogance, Ben seems to know what is best for himself.
Yeah, Ben is a creep, so it's a tricky performance for Min, because the actor has to make us somehow care about this guy - and he does. Through his nuanced performance, Min shows us the, well, shortcomings of this rather unlikable protagonist.
Shortcomings is based on the graphic novel by Adrian Tomine, and is directed by Korean-American actor Randall Park (TV's Fresh Off the Boat, The Interview). It's a well directed movie. There are some comedic conversations about cinema, like the two debating ushers (Jacob Batalon and Scott Seiss) at Ben's theater, or a funny exchange about the controversial Bruce Lee fight scene from Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But moments like that are short and sweet, and never smother the serious themes of the movie. Park ponders important subjects like commitment, race, and self love.
Sure, go see the blockbusters like Oppenheimer and Barbie, but please also seek out this fine little indie.
