Reviews

I actually spoke with the author of Loveboat, Taipei, Abigail Wen, when she was promoting the book years ago. To me, she was living the practical Asian's dream. She worked to become a highly paid lawyer but was able to pursue her writing on the side to great success. All of the upside of a creative outlet without the risk of being a starving artist. In a sense, that was my problem with Love in Taipei. It lacked the tension of risk and felt like a series of events happening to the protagonist, Ever, rather than a cohesive and compelling story.

I knew going in not to expect Everything, Everywhere, All At Once. This is a YA movie based on a YA novel. The screenwriters changed several details and story arcs from the source material. The movie cuts most of the side characters, but both the book and the movie focus on Ever's interactions with Rick, Xavier, and Sophie. I don't think the movie successfully establishes the stakes Ever faces. When the events start to unfold in Taipei, it's difficult to really care. The movie centers on Ever having to choose between two paths: medical school or dance program, Rick or Xavier, etc. I didn't feel like it really mattered which path was taken. The struggle was missing. I don't think the movie does a good job of making us root for Ever. She essentially already has everything: a clear path to medical school, an audition with a dance company, an instant best friend in Sophie, attention from the academic celebrity (Rick), attention from the rich but artistic boy (Xavier). There's a love triangle (actually more like a square) with almost zero drama. There is also something to be said for having some flash. This might have been due to the limitations of the actress, but one can't help thinking "Hmm...probably should just go to med school" when we see her dancing. If the movie showed amazing dance numbers, the audience could feel the pull between two worlds. We're kind of meant to assume she's great at dance but never shown it.

It's been a long time since my last trip to Taiwan, but I didn't feel any pangs of nostalgia when the characters explored the different parts of Taipei. I think it was a missed opportunity to showcase the experience of being in the city.

This is not uncommon with male Asian actors, but my first thought when I saw Rick was "why is this 35 year old man with these college students?" It turns out, he's actually 33, but you get my point.

With most good movies, there are breathtaking highs and devastating lows, and one connects with the emotions of the main character. Love in Taipei felt more like a flatline.

Obviously, I only watched this because I'm a huge fan of the original. It was odd because this version copies the basic structure of the original, even going to each iconic basketball court, like the fenced in court and the Watts court. There is zero tension though. Everything is just rushed though and none of the pick up games had any of the fun of the original. We don't really know why Jack Harlow's character is meant to be the underdog in the pickup games or why/how this is a hustle. I didn't like the director's choice to constantly use slow motion during the games either. It really detracted from excitement of the games/moves. Jack Harlow has a few nice moments, like when he's posing next to his car while Ed Sheeran plays. That was a funny scene, but for the most part, his acting is distractingly bad. We don't get any real moments with him, and there is a lack of commitment to either the trash talking or the zen. There's just a lot thrown into the back story of his and Sinqua Walls' characters with no pay off. Harlow's character seems to have a drug problem but is not addressed in the end. Walls' has a tragic moment, and a couple of minutes later is all smiles and jokey in (what's supposed to be) a comedic with Blake Griffin. Also not addressed. Ultimately, everything is unearned: Harlow and Walls' friendship, falling out, and redemption. The entire movie just goes through the motions. It was nice seeing Laura Harrier though.

I have always been an Anna Kendrick fan. I find her quick and funny, both on screen and in interviews. She delivers in Love Life. I think this was a thoughtfully written, acted, and produced show. The first half is stronger than the second, as it devolves into some melodrama towards the end.

As an Asian person, I am always hyper aware when an Asian person is showcased in popular American media. Love Life has two major characters played by Asian actors. A prominent Asian male character as a love interest was also nice to see, since that is rare. As I moved through each episode, I began to notice something. The producers obviously made it a point to have a very diverse cast. Although I think that's a step in the right direction, it felt like all the characters were simply white characters being played by people of color. I don't think every TV show or movie needs to tackle race. However, if a show is going to have such a diverse cast, I would think about starting with a diverse writing staff. These points of view would have been helpful in fleshing out the characters. My point is that the writing is good, but if you switch out most of the minority actors with white actors, it would make little to no difference in the story. Because there aren't a ton of examples of Asians on mainstream TV, it's not as simple as casting an Asian actor. One could make the argument that Augie is simply a character and that he may even be based on a real person, so why isn't this an authentic representation? Unfortunately, there just aren't enough examples to compare it to, so this representation has a greater effect on the public consciousness. Race is a factor for POC and to have no mention of it (except a passing comment by Augie about ping pong and one sentence about being bullied for being Asian by Sara) was a missed opportunity. For those reasons, the gesture of a diverse cast felt empty.