Rating: PG-13
Director: Nahnatchka Khan
Sasha (Ali Wong) and Marcus (Randall Park) had been next door neighbors and best friends since childhood, even losing their virginity to each other as teenagers ... before a heated argument causes a rift in their friendship, the two not speaking again for fifteen years. By then, Sasha has long left San Francisco and become a big-time celebrity chef in Los Angeles, engaged to a handsome and wealthy man and seemingly with a perfect life - until the opening of a new restaurant in San Francisco takes her home again, where she accidentally stumbles across a Marcus who seems to not have changed in all those fifteen years. Still in a fledgling band, still helping his father out with his construction/handyman business, Marcus has stalled in life, seemingly going nowhere - yet for Sasha, the feelings are still there. The spark still glows, however faintly, for them both. Starting up their friendship anew, just while Sasha readies her new restaurant, both Marcus and Sasha continue to struggle with feelings of something more even as they know that - now - they are way too different to make it work. Always Be My Maybe plays out its romantic comedy tropes in a fresh-faced way, thanks to Wong and Park in the leading roles, though the humor, particularly through the first half of the film, feels on the light side. Thankfully, the bizarre, unexpected entrance of Keanu Reeves later on, playing himself, only adds to and ratchets up the comedy to the higher/randier level you expected from the beginning. But while the ending is terrific, very sweet but no Hallmark Channel sugar coma, Keanu's role in the film goes on for far too long first, almost a distraction/intrusion to Sasha/Marcus's story and pushing them a bit out of the spotlight. A good, well-acted and funny film that just - sometimes - felt like it was playing things a little too safe (though yes, Keanu can do dialogue-heavy comedy; quite well, actually). Oh, and special kudos to Michelle Buteau, who plays Sasha's assistant/best friend Veronica; already blowing up in all things comedic on film and TV, this talented and hilarious lady's star has still only just begun to rise. 8/10 stars
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