Shortcomings - A Sundance Review

Taking chances is what life is all about.

Shortcomings premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Ben and Miko take a break as Miko travels to New York City for an internship. Suspicious that she is not answering her phone, Ben heads to New York with his best friend, Alice.

I am so thankful that the Sundance Film Festival exists. Shortcomings earned a well-deserved standing ovation at its premiere. It’s one of those films you can discuss with somebody. I love that about films. Don’t be afraid to make changes and keep expanding opportunities.

The film makes you feel a lot of emotions and that is because of the characters. As explained by the filmmakers, these are characters we don’t normally see. We need more of these characters instead of the same written tropes. You are not going to agree with what the characters do and that’s okay.

Ben (Justin H. Min) is not the most pleasant person. He is egotistical, has crude opinions, and won’t let things go. I like how Min conducted his portrayal. Struck by how much he related to Ben he chose to find the truth in the character. We can find empathy.

Min and Ally Maki (Miko) spent a lot of time on their characters’ relationship. I flip-flopped several times on who was at fault in the relationship. Ben is not so open or nice, but Miko is the one who fails to be truthful leading to the situations in the film.

This film reminded me of (500) Days of Summer. Like that film, an analysis could be written of Ben and Miko’s relationship. Who is the one at fault?

Alice (Sherry Cola) is the best character in Shortcomings! She is my new favorite character. Embracing her inner weirdness, Alice is the definition of what a best friend is. I lost track of how many times I said that I loved her or that she was awesome in my notes. She is someone to look up to.

Shortcomings has a small ensemble. Everyone made an impact no matter how small their part was. Credits include Tavi Gevinson, Debby Ryan, Sonoya Mizuno, Timothy Simons, and Jacob Batalon.

The whole film was fantastic and it was all the more terrific to hear about the making of this film. The cast and crew put their hearts into this story. Shortcomings details relationships and their complexities. There are some challenging themes in this film.

Representation is a big word in Shortcomings. I agree that we don’t have many films that are Asian-based. Randall Park expanded on what it means to be Asian-American. For some audiences, this is a special film. I am not in the target audience but this film was different. We need to experience films about other people and their cultures.

I had no idea that Shortcomings was based on a graphic novel by Adrien Tomine. Park and Tomine agreed to make the film authentic and make choices that were best for the movie and not the graphic novel. The editing choices for the film were similar to a graphic novel making quick cuts to the next scene.

I was not expecting the film to incorporate relatable lessons. Shortcomings is about finding the truth. It’s about being human. Change is possible if you want to change. Life is about having pain while having joy.

I only attended virtually but I could still feel the excitement and gratitude illuminating everyone in the theater. I could write more about this film but it would turn into a novel. Put Shortcomings on your watch list once it is out.