What a delightful, joyous and life affirming hoot Miss Peony is. It concerns the fractious relationship between Chinese grandmother Adeline (Gabrielle Chan) and her 26-year-old granddaughter, Lily (Stephanie Jack). In her heyday, Adeline won umpteen beauty contests in her native Hong Kong and is still feted for her achievements all these years later. Lily is an all but…
A Writer’s Odyssey is intriguing and a tad exasperating. This intricately woven crime fantasy explores power and loss … and making it as a storyteller. It crams a lot into its two-hour plus running time and requires concentration to follow. Guan Ning (Lei Jiayin) is heartbroken and isolated. He used to be a happily married…
The fact The Farewell even exists speaks to two things. First, the power of podcasting; because the movie probably wouldn’t have been made if director Lulu Wang’s real-life story hadn’t been featured on This American Life. And second, the rise of star Awkwafina (Ocean’s Eight) as an acting force. But the film does exist; which…
