Synopsis
One man does all he can to veil his Asian heritage; the other takes great pains to hide his sexual orientation. Both of these things begin to change when Ryan is hired to prepare film star Ning for a fashion shoot, and the men develop a bond.
Your Movie Library
Cast
- Jake ChoiRyan Fu
- James ChenQi Xiao Ning
- Elizabeth SungYen Fu
- Jennifer Neala PageJanet
- Sonia VillaniFrancesca
- Li Jun LiMiao
- Ben BaurEddie
- Jack FerverPascal
- Rachel LuXin
- Josh FolanPress
Recommendations
- 75
RogerEbert.com
One thing that’s notable about Front Cover — and that sets it apart from Ang Lee’s nominally similar “The Wedding Banquet” — is that, though set in New York, its perspective and espoused values are finally more Chinese than American. - 70
Village Voice
Come for the breezy chemistry, stay for the thoughtful exploration of racism, homophobia, and xenophobia via a cross-cultural love affair. - 67
The Playlist
As a filmmaker, Yeung has a keen eye for the quiet spaces where two people can learn more about each other than if they were holding a wordy conversation. If the director could just find a way to balance against his ho-hum dialogue and plotting, Front Cover would make more of an impression, instead of being the sweet but ultimately forgettable film that it is. - 60
The Hollywood Reporter
Whatever nuance can be found in Front Cover, the story of an openly gay fashion stylist and a seemingly homophobic Chinese movie star, belongs chiefly to the performances of Jake Choi and James Chen. - 60
Variety
While there isn’t much subtlety or surprise in Yeung’s screenplay, his direction is restrained and graceful enough to make this a pleasant if unmemorable bittersweet love story. - 60
The New York Times
Though too slight to be memorable, the gay romance Front Cover takes a gentle, thoughtful look at the intersection of ethnicity and sexuality. - 60
Los Angeles Times
Unfortunately, writer-director Ray Yeung leapfrogs over several key emotional beats and points of credibility. At the same time, he plies an ambitious slate of social, sexual and cultural messages, some more fully formed than others. - 50
Washington Post
Front Cover is weighed down by heavy-handed dialogue and a melodramatic score.
