• The story focuses on the age-old question of whether men and women can be friends without romantic involvement.
Image: COURTESY
Starring: Ali Wong, Randall Park, James Saito, Michelle Buteau, Vivian Bang, Susan Park, Keanu Reeves
Release date: May 29
Sasha is a 12-year-old girl who is constantly home alone, as her parents spend most of their time working in their shop in San Francisco. Sasha takes interest in elevating her simple dinners to elegant meals.
She ends up befriending the Kim family from next door. She becomes best friends with their son Marcus, and she learns how to cook from Mrs Kim. When Mrs Kim dies, Sasha has ‘pity sex’ with Marcus, which throws their friendship completely out of balance. Marcus and Sasha drift apart when she leaves for college and Marcus decides to stay back to take care of his widowed father.
Years later, Sasha returns to San Francisco as a celebrity chef to open her new restaurant. She meets Marcus and realises that time has not healed old wounds. Not only does she have to face her issues with Marcus, but she is also forced to work through her issues with her parents since they were never present during her childhood.
The story is not new; it focuses on the age-old question of whether men and women can be friends without romantic involvement. And/or, if romance is the death of platonic friendships. A modern take on 'When Harry Met Sally', if you will.
The two best parts about this film are that it stars Asian-American leads, so it changes the narrative from a cultural perspective; and that it stars two of the best Asian-American comedians.
Randall Park made is best known for playing the father of Eddie Huang in the hit TV comedy 'Fresh off the Boat'. While Ali Wong is known for her hilarious stand-up comedy routines. Wong has spent many years writing comedy behind the scenes and has also served as a writer for 'Fresh off the Boat'.
The couple have a fantastic on-screen friendship chemistry but fall a little short on convincing the audience on their romantic chemistry. However, everything about this film makes it a charming rom-com that we can watch repeatedly. The cameo of Keanu Reeves, starring as a fictionalised character of himself, is the best part of the movie.
Star rating: 4 stars