Asian Persuasion

Audience Reviews

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Seng Go watch it! Sort of cheesy but there is a theme and a good one at that. Worth watching it! Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/28/25 Full Review Brad P Excellent film. Very likeable characters. Parts funny and other parts touching. Enjoyed it! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/26/25 Full Review Rancisco B Great story! In a time after the actors and writers strike, I most movies didnt have a great story. I was glad this was entertaining and worth a watch. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/26/25 Full Review Marvin Great movie. Filipino community representation at its best. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/23/25 Full Review GREGORY Excellent storyline and cast ! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/13/23 Full Review Grace H "A saccharine romantic dramedy of errors" Comedies tend to err on the side of cringe, and Jhett Tolentino‘s “Asian Persuasion” is no exception. The “Lingua Franca” (2019) producer tries their hand at humor, with mixed results. The film appeared at a handful of local film festivals two years ago, when it took home the Audience Award at the SoHo International Film Festival. Now, the film is coming to North American theaters this weekend, with limited theatrical release. “Asian Persuasion” is as Asian American as it gets. Here, Mickey (Dante Basco) goes through a divorce with his fashion executive wife, Avery (KC Concepcion). Mickey only realizes after signing the papers that his alimony is way beyond his means, as a humble Filipino-themed café owner in Woodside, Queens. With his Korean American best friend, Caspian (Kevin Kreider), they come up with a hare-brained scheme to offload the alimony by getting Avery married to the man of her dreams: the chiseled, rich, but ever-still-awkward, Lee-Kwan Prince (Paolo Montalban). Like “Singing in the Rain”, Mickey feeds Lee tailored conversation in the background, watching — firsthand — his ex-wife fall in love with a new man right in front of his eyes. The two go on scenic New York City dates, with sickeningly-sweet gestures to cinephilia: The Museum of the Moving Image. Humphrey Bogart. Independent theaters. Predictably, as this movie-like romance unfolds, Mickey realizes just how much he has loved Avery after all this time. The “Asian Persuasion,” then, becomes flipped: how can he persuade Lee to fall out of love just as much as he convinced him to get involved in the first place? As anticipated, the film is awkward. Aside from the movie’s conclusion, Mike Ang’s script feels out of touch with everyday millennial conversation, especially in the banter between friends. It’s clear that Ang is not that close to people who do experiment with the dating pool; their exchanges about their many dates feel more forced than they are funny. The score remains relatively generic, while the cinematography feels amateur. The camera is more conducive to just telling a story, rather than expressing an image on their own. The movie does excel, however, in how good-hearted it is. Aside from one-too-many bad sex jokes (extra uncomfortable too, with child actress Scarlett Sher sometimes in the frame), “Asian Persuasion” does well with its timing. It blends the extravagance of the Filipino soap opera with the modern American comedy. Indulgent shots of local landmarks, like Central Park, decorate the story, adding to the spectatorial pleasure for viewers both local and abroad. The push-and-pull between Dante Basco and KC Concepcion also comes alive when they’re on-screen together — which regrettably, is less often than one might like. So now, the final deliberation that haunts all Asian American cinema: Would “Asian Persuasion” appeal to non-Asian American audiences? The answer is a solid ‘yes.’ The film is sufficiently generic enough in premise to engage any viewer attuned to American comedy. Its built-in awkwardness is bound to draw a few chuckles; Dante Basco’s performance as a bumbling romantic is humorous to watch. In this saccharine romantic dramedy of errors, savor the ube pancakes and garlic rice while you enjoy the light-hearted ride. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/02/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Asian Persuasion

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