


Chu's Crazy Rich Asians was released to great critical acclaim, which was quickly followed by the famous 2020 Best Picture win for Bong Joon-Ho's Parasite, at the Academy Awards, making it the first-ever foreign language film to win the star prize. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but they do it effortlessly.The battle for greater Asian representation in modern Hollywood has been long fought, with only recent years finally starting to show the tide potentially turning. Props to Chevapravatdumrong, Hsiao and Lim for knowing when to have fun and knowing when to get serious. But the script is self-assured, the direction is dynamic, and the cast is sensational. I would have enjoyed seeing more of Audrey’s struggle when discovering information about her mother, and I also found parts of the ending to be rushed. Joy Ride is about the Asian experience but also has something for everyone. She believes in the story and its execution - which is essential to the artistry, especially with a multimillion-dollar property being shot in international locations. The direction and the cinematography by Paul Yee allows the audience to connect with these relatable characters.įilming all over Asia can’t be easy, but the director commands each shot with unrelenting fervor, as there is none of that first-time director hesitation in her work. In her first outing as a feature director, Lim is given a surprising amount of cinematic and creative leeway. It does well to blend comedy, drama and commentary in a cohesive way. I laughed at jokes about vagina tattoos and cried watching Audrey find out more about her past life. Lolo, Kat and Deadeye eventually get tired of the antics and let their friend have it, and this is when things finally click for her - but at what cost? Joy Ride is super racy but also deeply introspective, and holds its characters accountable for their actions. She is oblivious to the problems this behavior has on her self-worth and how that’s projected onto others.
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She doesn’t know how to speak her native language - to be fair, many Americanized folks don’t - and believes that white is right, based on the choices she makes in a train scene. Growing up with white parents has caused Audrey to accept racism in order to assimilate at work.

These are some of the best friends she could ask for, because not only do they support the journey, they consistently check her internalized racism and model minority-isms. Audrey is looking for answers because up to this point, she hasn’t examined what it means to be a transracial adoptee.Īlthough her friends don’t understand what that means either, the group creates space for Audrey to process these new emotions. But at the heart of it is a story about identity and belonging. Many will see Joy Ride as an X-rated comedy. RELATED: ‘Joy Ride’ Stars Set For CinemaCon’s Comedy Ensemble Of The Year Award Lolo blurts out that her friend is looking for her biological mom while there, so he agrees to sign the deal once he meets her mother. In order to prove this authenticity, the young lawyer needs to present some form of connection to the heritage, or it’s no deal. Things that normally would bother a businessman didn’t phase the client, but what did send off alarm bells is the fact that Audrey didn’t seem like an “authentic” Asian. On a night out with this potential client, the girls drink themselves into a stupor, playing slapping games, drinking thousand-year egg shots and vomiting all over the place. The last person to join this group is Audrey’s old college friend and current Chinese television star Kat (Hsu), because she speaks the language fluently. Audrey is flying to China to close a deal with a big client, and at her going-away party, Lolo suggests she find her in China while there.Īs they prepare to leave, Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Wu) tags along. As adults, one is now an overachieving workaholic lawyer on the verge of a promotion, the other a slacking artist who makes art out of human private parts, looking to sell her pieces to the highest bidder.
