Saving Face
Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) | Release Date: May 27, 2005 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
6
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Film ThreatEric Campos
Thought provoking and brimming with charm, match that with an infectious sense of humor and outstanding performances. Read full review
88
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
An insightful, clear-headed look at relations within a Chinese-American family. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterDuane Byrge
A juicy Chinese-American romance about preserving "face" at the sacrifice of your whole being. This Sony Pictures Classics release is a comic gem. Read full review
80
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
A sweet, true and, at times, universal love story it is. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneRobert K. Elder
Younger viewers might be annoyed with Saving Face for not being more in-your-face progressive and edgy. Older audiences will be happy that it's not. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Nicely acted. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
A worthy addition to what must take up a whole section of the video store - the heartwarming comedy that reaffirms the power of personal choice, while also promising to love and to cherish even the most hidebound cultures. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
Tender and often extremely funny. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
An affable comedy (with some serious notes). Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Just plain fun. Don't miss it. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
A first film with a deft comedic touch and a trio of charming stars, Saving Face isn't deep - but it doesn't profess to be. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
Despite the mysteries of the plot, a sitcom-style sense of expectation creeps into Saving Face, which sometimes feels comfortable but mostly serves to spotlight the shortcomings in a script that invents compelling characters but doesn't give them much out of the ordinary to do. Read full review
70
VarietyDavid Rooney
The film's appealing characters and amusing situations prevail over its general shortage of energy. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesCarina Chocano
Alice Wu's debut film is so deft, natural and exquisitely specific, it feels fresh. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJonathan Rosenbaum
It abjectly collapses into feel-good nonsense. Read full review
70
SalonStephanie Zacharek
It has the heart and spirit of a true romantic comedy, and a lightness of touch that you rarely see in a debut picture. Read full review
70
SlateDavid Edelstein
What makes Alice Wu's debut so pleasurable is its easy rhythms, its sly juxtapositions, and its relaxed but funny performances. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The writer-director, Alice Wu, fudges a lot of the basics -- I never believed the heroine was really a physician -- but the final, proudly public girl-on-girl smooch still jerks a tear. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
A convincing and compelling community of characters with a sure comic sense and an at times screwball sensibility. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
Surprisingly fresh and charming overall. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Actually the problem with Saving Face as a romantic comedy is that its central romance is a drag. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
There's almost a perverse pleasure in watching occasionally weak performers mar an essentially sound screenplay. That's the saving grace of Saving Face -- Wu gets the hard part right. Read full review
60
L.A. WeeklyChuck Wilson
In her charming debut feature, writer-director Alice Wu works hard to sidestep both pathos and antic comedy, an admirable ambition that makes for a relentlessly low-key film that nonetheless builds to a third act rich in surprising turns of character. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Everything that happens in the last half-hour betrays the canny, hardheaded perspective of what came before. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
The film is simultaneously sweet natured and sharply observed, and if love eventually conquers all, it takes its own sweet time doing it. Read full review
50
Village VoiceEd Park
Despite a fairly explicit lesbian boobfest (projected attendance just went up!), the film is more good-natured than provocative. Read full review
50
Dallas ObserverMelissa Levine
Part of the reason that it doesn't quite succeed is that these messages are so tried and true. Read full review
40
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
The umpteenth variation on second-generation American immigrants bucking the traditions of their first-generation elders. Read full review
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