One of the best and most successfully diverse indie films in years. You needn't be gay nor Chinese to be captivated by it. One of the surprising issues explored here is independent of sexual orientation: the rarely-dealt-with comparison between American-born Chinese (ABC) and native-born Chinese (NBC) mindsets and lifestyles. And so it's the initially homophobic Beijing actor on the rise and the U.S. immigrant parents of his second-generation out stylist that resonate with each other in surprising ways.
As in too many films dealing with an American gay protagonist, "Front Cover" includes initially clichéd scenes (here, computer sex and dance-bar clubs). But ultimately, each include twists that advance character development and story-line.
The script also subtly wades into aspects of China-U.S. political relations through both comic and dramatic conversations that explore global economic and human rights issues in personal rather than polemic fashion. The lack of a score adds to the realism; but a poorly-chosen handful of scene-transitional songs seem even more out of place as a result.
Thanks to inspired cinematography, NYC's Chinatown has rarely looked both welcoming yet set-apart. Thanks to careful casting, directorial and editing choices, the performances reveal characters both leading and supporting that are all well-delineated and worth caring about.
I didn't see the film on any festival screen. I bought a ticket at a Los Angeles multiplex where paying customers, on exit, discussed how far off-base its critics have been, and how they intend to challenge that with must-see word-of-mouth. Any film that creates a community out of its audience of strangers as this does is a rare gem.
As in too many films dealing with an American gay protagonist, "Front Cover" includes initially clichéd scenes (here, computer sex and dance-bar clubs). But ultimately, each include twists that advance character development and story-line.
The script also subtly wades into aspects of China-U.S. political relations through both comic and dramatic conversations that explore global economic and human rights issues in personal rather than polemic fashion. The lack of a score adds to the realism; but a poorly-chosen handful of scene-transitional songs seem even more out of place as a result.
Thanks to inspired cinematography, NYC's Chinatown has rarely looked both welcoming yet set-apart. Thanks to careful casting, directorial and editing choices, the performances reveal characters both leading and supporting that are all well-delineated and worth caring about.
I didn't see the film on any festival screen. I bought a ticket at a Los Angeles multiplex where paying customers, on exit, discussed how far off-base its critics have been, and how they intend to challenge that with must-see word-of-mouth. Any film that creates a community out of its audience of strangers as this does is a rare gem.