Yasmine Gomez is a producer, writer and director, whose credits include the Sundance-awarded “Advantageous” and “Basurero”. “Party Favor” is her latest work.
Party Favor is screening at New Filmmakers LA
Jen, a Filipino-American woman, comes out from a cafe with a friend, and then receives a call from someone she was drinking with the previous night, apparently being surprised by her behavior after the third shot, which she does not seem to remember at all. She then goes to a party at her sister's house, celebrating her nephew's first communion and his birthday. She stumbles upon her 14-year-old niece, Liz, saying goodbye to her boyfriend, while being chastised by her sister for missing the morning mass. An aunt is also quick to pass judgement for her not being married or having kids, establishing the patriarchal setting the protagonists inhabit, within their catholic Filipino family. The fact that in this rather conservative setting every behavior out of the ordinary, as Liz having a fake tattoo in her belly, is deemed unacceptable, becomes quite apparent, as much as the fact that Jen is considered something of a pariah.
A trip to the convenience store to buy candles for the cake becomes an opportunity for some niece-aunt bonding, but the request eventually comes. Liz needs Jen to buy her condoms. Jen initially denies but when she goes back into the store…
In the 12 minutes of “Party Favor”, Yasmine Gomez creates a rather appealing narrative that manages to deal with sex and Catholicism, growing up, the way women can come together under intense circumstances, and how easily it is for people to become pariahs in conservative settings. The comments are rather eloquent, and there is a permeating unpleasantness throughout the short, particularly in the way Jen's sister is treating both her and her daughter. The relationship of aunt and niece provides a very appealing relief from this setting, with their interaction being quite pleasant to watch, also for the way the “arc” concludes.
On the other hand, the last part of the movie seems somewhat romanticized since the “talk” obviously will not have such great results and everyone becoming friends does not erase the issues in their relationships. Evidently, Gomez wanted to promote the value of family, but probably needed some more time in order to make this transition smoother.
The acting is on a rather high level. Catherine Ricafort McCreary as Jen highlights her apologetic discomfort quite eloquently, as much as the fact that she is not going to change despite her sister and her aunt's attitude. Kim Berrios Lin as her sister is also quite convincing in the way she tries to be controlling due to her love of her children, while being deeply impacted by the conservatism of Catholicism. Sara Rahman plays the “cheeky” teenager with gusto, concluding the overall nice job in both acting and casting.
Barbie Leung's cinematography captures the events through many close ups, in an approach that works quite well here, while the framing in the scene in the convenience store is particularly well done. Louis Lee and Ben Kim's editing result in a relatively fast pace that allows the comments to be presented without rush.
Despite some issues with the narrative, which are probably due to not having a bigger duration, “Party Favor” emerges as a competent short that highlights the fact that Yasmine Gomez knows her subjects and how to present her comments on them in eloquence.
