'Always Be My Maybe' A Review

Always Be My Maybe is a romantic comedy about two next-door neighbor childhood friends in San Francisco, Sasha(Ali Wong) and Marcus(Randall Park), who romantically connect at the end of High School but then having a falling out. Years later they reconnect when Sasha, a celebrity chef, returns to the city to open a restaurant and Marcus and his Father go to her swanky rental home to upgrade her HVAC system.

Wong and Park, also co-writers, are cast somewhat against type and clearly relish the opportunity, Wong the type-A career obsessive and Park the burn-out slacker. There's an effortlessness in both of their performances which, along with their clear and present chemistry, make them totally magnetic. They move from romance to catharsis to grounded comedy to broad with a captivating grace. Although they effectively capture a very specific time, place, and people they are universally appealing and relatable. It is wonderful to see the two in front-and-center lead performances in a feature, despite undeniable and massive talent something the two haven't had the opportunity to do before with Wong known primarily as a writer and stand-up and Park although the lead in sitcom Fresh Off The Boat mostly a supporting character in film. The supporting cast is equally perfectly cast with Michelle Buteau as Veronica Sasha's best friend and James Saito as Harry Marcus's dad as the two stand-outs. Keanu Reeves makes an extended cameo as himself and his entrance alone is easily one of the best scenes of the year.

Other than Reeves entrance the cinematography is relatively workman-like but virtually every other element of the production design is particularly inspired. The costumes are all in turns playful, fun, and chic, Wong's ensemble is singularly striking, with some humorous meta-commentary on rich people fads. The locations- from penthouses to dive bars- are all pitch-perfect and evocative. And almost above all the soundtrack with some killer pop and hip-hop songs from the 90's as well as a couple diegetic originals from Marcus's band Hello Peril all weave together to surpass nostalgia and evoke a particular time, place, but above all generation.

Always Be My Maybe has been compared to When Harry Met Sally but it far surpasses that comedy and its retrograde views on sex and the sexes for a more modern, more truthful, more amusing, and more important story. The only negative is that is only streaming on Netflix and didn't receive a proper theatrical release, this would be a fun one to see with an audience even so a must see at home.

Don't Miss It.