The first thing to say about this documentary is that for the first 20 minutes or so it is one of the funniest ever made. The movie makes a wonderful case for the need of a movie about Grace Lees, portraying them as omnipresent and disturbingly similar in reputation. Lee is so funny that I thought it possible she should work as a stand-up comic. She comes across as an incredibly smart, funny original person. Much of it is absolutely inspired (and beautifully edited).
The film becomes weaker when Grace starts showing us other Grace Lees. She starts out strong with an elderly activist and follows up with an engaging young girl. But then she follows up with two bland Christians and a very nice, self-sacrificing woman who unfortunately comes across as somewhat bland.
What's interesting about the movie is that outside of the activist, Grace Lees actually to tend to fulfill their stereotype of somewhat bland good girls. Perhaps this is because Asian children are under so much pressure to make good that they don't have the same opportunities to get weird as kids from more assimilated cultures. Or perhaps Grace simply missed some of the quirkier Grace Lees. But the documentary suffers because the director comes across as more interesting than most of her subjects.
It's a really good movie, but while 20 minutes into it I was ready to rate it 9 out of 10 by the end I gave it a 7, because too much of its brilliance was counterbalanced by some rather dull stretches. Still, it's one of the most original and ingenious ideas for a documentary I've seen and shouldn't be missed.
The film becomes weaker when Grace starts showing us other Grace Lees. She starts out strong with an elderly activist and follows up with an engaging young girl. But then she follows up with two bland Christians and a very nice, self-sacrificing woman who unfortunately comes across as somewhat bland.
What's interesting about the movie is that outside of the activist, Grace Lees actually to tend to fulfill their stereotype of somewhat bland good girls. Perhaps this is because Asian children are under so much pressure to make good that they don't have the same opportunities to get weird as kids from more assimilated cultures. Or perhaps Grace simply missed some of the quirkier Grace Lees. But the documentary suffers because the director comes across as more interesting than most of her subjects.
It's a really good movie, but while 20 minutes into it I was ready to rate it 9 out of 10 by the end I gave it a 7, because too much of its brilliance was counterbalanced by some rather dull stretches. Still, it's one of the most original and ingenious ideas for a documentary I've seen and shouldn't be missed.