After weeks of anticipation, I attended the world premiere of Richard Wong’s new film, Yes, We’re Open. I’ve been a fan of Richard Wong’s work since Colma: The Musical, and I was so excited to see him collaborate with H.P. Mendoza again.
Yes, We’re Open is NOT a musical. It is an 80-minute comedy that centers around an Asian-American couple played by Lynn Chen and Parry Shen. In the film, the main characters explore the idea of an open relationship. The subject material may be controversial to some people, but I chose not to see it that way. The film gives an honest take on what a modern couple may go through. It was important that I not judge the characters as they talk about these ideas.
I love that the plot is mostly driven by dialogue. The actors play their parts so realistically and honestly, that I forgot I was watching a film. I felt like I was watching a play or observing a real couple. Because the dialogue and plot was so engaging, eighty minutes went by so fast, and I was left thinking, “Wow, that’s it? The movie was so short!” Imagine if there were musical numbers inserted at the proper beats in a scene, and I think there could’ve been a good extra twenty minutes of run time!
The best part of this film is the music. It is so amazing, and by the time the movie ended, I was left longing for more. Richard Wong and H.P. Mendoza have created another fine piece of indie cinema and I’m looking forward to their next collaboration.
I imagined that if it had musical numbers, the film would be EPIC!
