Falling for Grace

Falling for Grace is a romantic comedy about a woman coming to terms with who she is and a man who likes her anyway.  This movie has moments of brilliance but it follows the romantic comedy map and avoids cutting its own path.

Grace Tang (Fay Ann Lee) is an ambitious first generation business lady who longs to be a player in New York's east side social community.  When she is mistaken for a different, more important Grace Tang at a party, she does nothing to correct the mistake.  Before long a high society man named Andrew Barrington (Gale Harold) falls for Grace and she tries to keep the lie alive.

Director, actor, producer, and writer Fay Ann Lee is a fair actress but I think needs more direction because sometimes the acting gets a little awkward.  Even though as an actress she could use some more direction, she isn't a waste of film.  There are moments of rich sincerity in her performance.  The scenes with her family are especially entertaining.  Grace has an internal struggle around her family that spills external.  She loves her family but is also ashamed of them.   Their relationship is sad, complex and sometimes, very funny.

There is one thing this movie does have going for it, Asian Americans.  For some reason American cinema doesn't want to see an Asian face that isn't kicking someone or is very old and teaching someone.  It is a break from type-casting an entire group of people and really looks at the struggles of Asian American families and their children.

Falling for Grace is charming but not exceptional.  It won't win any awards but it does make me want to see what more Fay Ann Lee will create in the future.

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