Following in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie, Greta Gerwig, and Regina King, actor Randall Park steps to the other side of the camera in his directorial debut,Shortcomings. After premiering at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, the searing meta-comedy hit theaters last August and will hopefully find a home on a streamer soon. As a stark contrast to the overproduced genre pictures populating multiplexes,Shortcomingsoffers us a bit of something new while reminding us of something old.
Based on a 2007 graphic novelof the same name with a script written by the same author, Adrian Tomine,Shortcomingschronicles the career struggles and relationship qualms of three Asian American professionals living in Berkeley, CA. We meet Ben (Justin H. Min) and his longtime girlfriend Miko (Ally Maki) at the premiere of aCrazy Rich Asiansspoof, where their dwindling relationship is exemplified by their differing opinions on Asian American representation in film. Ben’s close friend Alice (Sherry Cola) counterbalances Ben’s sharp pessimism with her charm and comedic relief while interjecting some relationship problems of her own.
The film packs a lot into its ninety-two-minute runtime, so it’s easy to get lost in the depths of Asian American politics, which fuels the majority of the story’s conflicts. While the characters provide intellectually stimulating discourse and deeply affecting emotional arcs, the film itself acts as a dialectic metaphor that dissects the Asian American existence within Hollywood.
Film About Film
One consistent aspect ofShortcomingsis the appeal of the film about film narrative construct. Though often criticized for being self-indulgent and self-flagellating, the movie about film genre offers a unique utility when considering themes and emotions. Similar to films such as Charlie Kaufman’sAdaptationor Federico Fellini’s8 ½,the movie about moviesallows the author to present their ideas in a dialectic manner, which openly questions their beliefs and exposes their fears and anxieties.
While Ben and Miko aren’t actively in the process of making a movie, the film still presents itself similarly through its production design, dialogue, and filmic allusions. Throughout Ben’s apartment and especially within the theater settings, the filmmakers thoughtfully place film posters, DVD cases, and short clips from movies as clever Easter Eggs for the observant cinephile. Their references expand to international hits like Nobuhiko Obayashi’sHouseor Yasujirō Ozu’sGood Morningand American independents like Noah Baumbach’sFrances Ha.
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The dialogue is also littered with film references, with characters name-dropping directors like Céline Sciamma, Bong Joon-ho, and Éric Rohmer. Even Jacob Batalon, who plays one of the theater employees, throws a tasteful metareference to his role in the MCU Spider-Man series. The film even starts with the aforementionedCrazy Rich Asiansspoof featuring Stephanie Hsu ofEverything Everywhere All At Oncefame.
Shortcomingsas a whole seem to beone giant homagetoAnnie Hall, but what do these references have to do with the movie and the characters overall? What is the message the filmmakers are trying to send by doing this? And how does the metanarrative structure inform us about themes and messages?
Mirrors & Reflections
By utilizing a film about film narrative structure, Park and Tomine create a film that points the camera back at the creators and openly questions the ideas and beliefs that permeate the film. With the film being set in Berkeley (Tomine graduated from UC Berkeley), it’s safe to assume that Ben is some projection of Tomine himself. Not to say this was an autobiographical account, but more as a creative endeavor to discuss complex emotions and ideas.
Much like8 ½orAnnie Hall, the film can act as an exercise in the exploration and criticism of the self. Ben is a natural contrarian and isn’t shy about swimming against the current. However, others view his erratic behavior as self-loathing and defeatist. In this way,Shortcomingsquestion the narratives we create for ourselves and the narratives others cast upon us. This is best exemplified, asBonnie Johnson from the LA Times describes, “at the charged intersection of race and sexuality.”
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Between Ben rationalizing his attraction to white women and Alice negotiating her queer identity with her Korean parents, the film is always prodding at what society deems appropriate within romantic and sexual relationships. It emphasizes how we, as individuals, filled with biases, preconceptions, and false narratives, remain reflections of the world around us, whether knowingly or not.
Though we cringe and wince as Ben descends into his downfall, we can empathize with his flawed personality and his own setbacks anchored by his mistakes and hubris. As writerTomine explains to the New Yorker, “It is ultimately a story about relationships and introspection and self and finding your identity. … [T]here were things about these characters that I could still relate to—that people my age could still relate to.”
