16 years after an awkward falling out, childhood sweethearts Sasha and Marcus find themselves in vastly different socio-economic situations. While Sasha has become a celebrity chef, opening a chain of successful Asian fusion restaurants, Marcus has stayed in his childhood home and done next to nothing to promote his band, despite them being quite good. So what happens when they meet each other again? Watch the movie and find out.
Always Be My Maybe is sweet and funny, and that’s all it really needs to be. Yes, as a rom-com, it’s fairly formulaic. Yes, there are some annoying and pointless side characters. Yes, as far as cinematography and editing are concerned, it doesn’t have much flair or style. But, in the end, this flick’s dialogue, its humor, and the infectious chemistry of its stars, Randall Park and Ali Wong, overcome its flaws and deliver a fun, breezy watch. I mention Randall and Ali, because they’re the leads, and they co-wrote the script together, but, really, everyone in the movie does great. Daniel Day Kim is deliciously sleazy for the few minutes he’s onscreen. Keanu Reeves has arguably the funniest scene in the entire movie. (Seriously, watch his bit, and listen to the song Randall raps about him over the end credits, and tell me you didn’t laugh a little). And James Saito, who plays Randall’s father, was a huge surprise for me. Not only is he funny, but he’s got some of the best dramatic moments as well. In case you don’t recognize his name, James is a character actor who’s been popping up in big movies, like Die Hard With A Vengeance, the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Life of Pi, for years. I’m always happy to see him when he shows up, and I’m really glad he got the chance to do a little bit more here.
Something else that I really appreciate about this movie is that it has a majority Asian-American cast. We’re in something of a golden age for Asian American content, with movies like Crazy Rich Asians, Searching, this, and To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before not only getting good reviews but lots of promotion and wide releases. Those last two factors are key because there actually is a huge body of Asian American content out there. It’s just, in the past, Asian American stories were relegated to micro-budget indie fare that, even if it did get good reviews on the festival circuit, never got a wide release, and was quickly forgotten. (Seriously, does anyone remember Picture Bride, Strawberry Fields, Charlotte Sometimes or Shopping For Fangs? Well, okay, I do, but I’m an Asian American film nerd, so of course I do). The point is, Asian American stories are finally getting more promotion. As a result, more people are seeing them, and the flicks have the chance to make a bigger impact when it comes to increasing diversity both in front of and behind the cameras. A trend I’ve noticed though, and I don’t think this is necessarily a good or bad thing, is that a lot of the Asian American films that are getting made now are comedies. Crazy Rich Asians, To All The Boys, this, all fall neatly within the rom-com genre. As I said, that isn’t a bad thing by itself, but I’m hoping we can get the chance to do more; tell different types of stories. Sci-Fi movies, horror flicks, film noir, musicals, superhero blockbusters, I’m hoping we can get the chance to play around in all of these genres. Because, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, getting pigeonholed into one genre, even if that genre is successful, is still pigeonholing.
As for this film, though, it’s funny, sweet, and completely inoffensive. If you’re looking to laugh, or for something that you can snuggle up with your loved one and see, don’t hesitate to give it a look. It’ll get the job done on both fronts.
liusviews 