I feel something doggish coming on, I really do, but before that, yes, it's another movie review.
I saw a sweet, funny little romantic comedy Tuesday night that opens tonight here in San Francisco, and next weekend in Washington DC. It's probably the most heterosexual movie I've ever reviewed other than Princess Bride, which might make you ask, okay, so, exactly why did you review it, and for whom, oh Miss Lesbian/Gay Media Hack?
Trust me, darlings, I can can gay up ANYTHING -- although it wasn't really all that hard with this:
For a totally conventional hetero Cinderella romantic comedy without even an Obligatory Gay Best Friend, Falling for Grace, which opens this weekend in San Francisco and next weekend in Washington, DC, is kind of a who's who of the queer and near-queer.
It stars Queer as Folk's Gale Harold as the JFK Jr-esque Andrew Barrington, Jr. He's vying for the affections of Grace Tang (Faye Ann Lee) with Steven, played by gay actor B.D. Wong (M. Butterfly, Law & Order: SVU). When Grace, who has been mistaken for a Hong Kong heiress by a group of upper-crust New Yorkers, falls for Andrew, Steven turns his sights on her best friend, Janie, brought outrageously to life by every gay boy's best friend, Margaret Cho.
Speaking of Steven and Janie:
(T)he film's best couple is B.D. Wong and Margaret Cho's Steven and Janie. From their first date at a performance of Mamma Mia -- where Janie's tight yellow mini-dress and go-go dancing win Steven's heart and, I confess, mine -- to the pivotal scene at the Gatsby Ball, where the secondary Cinderella storyline gets resolved, their playful rapport and exuberant campiness dominate every frame. And I'm avoiding the spoiler thing here again, but the scene where Steven leeringly plants a kiss on Janie's shoulder before sweeping her off to get a drink? Totally brilliant. Those two should have their own movie.
Since every time I mention Gale Harold on my blog I get 4568798 hits from Google blogsearch on that term, yes, he was good in it -- charming, sweet, charismatic, and just slightly quirky. The film itself is very conventional and there's nothing "indie" about it other than the small budget and lesser-known stars, but when what you want is nicely-done escapism with a happy ending, Falling for Grace will get you there. Probably the single thing I liked the least about it was the score. Better music would have helped this film a lot.
You can read more of my ponderings on this Chinese-American Cinderella story over at AfterElton.com.
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