“Falling for Grace” Review

I don’t mean to minimize Fay Ann Lee’s accomplishment in making this film. She wrote, directed and stars in it and she’s great. She did a great job of addressing the stereotypes that Asian Americans face, and the plight of poor people, too. As this style of mistaken identity plot goes, this is a really nice treatment.

My main recommendation, though, is that it’s a must see for Gale Harold fans. Gale isn’t exactly a household word, but he’s got an avid and loyal fan base who go to rather extreme lengths to see his movies, up to and including tracking down the producers and lobbying for distribution. Until now, Gale’s movies tended to be very dark, laden with violent deaths, emotionally tense story lines and exceedingly unhappy endings. I’m sure they were great parts for an actor who takes his craft seriously, but for a fan that just wants to revel in the work of their favorite actor, they weren’t exactly films you could share with your family, watch with your uninitiated friends or just enjoy over and over. This goes at the top of my list of Chick Flicks I’ll watch dozens of times, and yes, that’s a very good thing. It’s such a relief to see Gale using his considerable comedic skills for a change!

There are also interesting appearances by Stephanie March, her husband Bobby Flay, Margaret Cho, Christine Baranski, B.D. Wong and Lewis Black, all of whom are perfectly cast for their particular roles.

Highly recommended for lovers of romantic comedies. It’s an instant hit.