JOY RIDE Review: Refreshing and Raunchy Girls Road Trip, Now Playing

By now, I hope people have figured out that women can be just as gross as men, that we can want sex just as much as men, and that you can have a buddy comedy with women that both delves into the politics of race, sex, and friendship while still being raunchy and sexy. If you haven't, then Joy Ride is the film for you.

Written and directed by Adele Lim (the writer behind Crazy Rich Asians and the wonderful Raya and the Last Dragon), Joy Ride is both following in a tradition of raunchy road road trip comedies, and taking in a new direction by focusing on four Asian women and their own cross-cultural angst. There is a lot there for shock value, but it's never without context or meaning; it's smartly focused on friendship and family as opposed to romance, and brings all the vibrant colour of this adventure and these woman's disparate but terrific personalities.

Audrey (Ashley Park) and Lolo (Sherry Cola) have been best friends since childhood, in part as the only two Asian kids in their aptly-named suburb White Hills. Audrey was adopted from China as a child, and as the adopted child of white parents, she seems to be constantly driven to be at the top of the game, in her chosen lawyer profession. Meanwhile, Lola, as a second-generation of Chinese immigrant parents, has not taken the traditional route, instead focusing on a stumbling artist career which includes making a playground out of genital-shaped objects. They are the odd couple, but their love and support has been unquestioned and deep.

When Audrey has the opportunity to make the deal of her career in China, Lolo joins her, along with her cousing Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), and Audrey's college friend Kat (Stephanie Hsu, Everything Everywhere All At Once), who is now a rising TV star in Bejing. But Lolo's real reason for accompanying Audrey is to help her friend find her birth mother. Audrey has never really felt Asian, and Lolo thinks she needs to understand her roots.

The story plays with the negative stereotypes of Asians, both ones perpetuated by white culture, and those within the culture itself. Having been raised by white parents, Audrey carries a lot of those prejudices, whereas the more worldly Lolo takes no shit in making it clear, she is fully comfortable in both sides of her Asian American skin; but even she has expectations she has not met, not having picked up a 'professional' careers as is expected of so many Asian American children. Deadeye lives online, happy enough to follow her music obsession, but knowing she does not conform to typical femininity expected of her. And Kat finds herself stuck too much in a stereotype, denying her nature to keep her gorgeous, virginal, Christian fiancé.

The first half of the film keeps these jokes and observations on the lighter side: Audrey feeling good as finally not being in a minority, while at the same time not being able to handle more traditional Chinese food and alcohol. Her prejudice against her own people forces the girls to take and hide drugs when put in a comprimising position by a blond American drug dealer, which leads to some rather creative hiding places. All four actresses have impeccible comic timing, and even if you've seen some of it in the trailer, that does not do it justice.

Lim's writing talent, which extends to the actors, lies in finding the nuances behind both the jokes around stereotypes, of Asian people, of Asian women specifically, and also just trying to be a woman navigating a world that wants us to be both the virgin and the whore. These women know that they can and should have sex if they want, they learn they shouldn't hide their desires - and also that it's okay if they don't have them. Yes, we've seen these films about people learning to find themselves and embrace their identity, but when you showcase this with the baggage forced upon Asian women, this journey takes on new meaning,

China looks beautiful in this film, a hat tip to cinematographer Paul Yee, and Lim knows hwo to highlight her performers and their respective characters in their individual styles, not only with the clothing choices, but in framing them as they work through their problems, seperately and together. Each of these actors gives their character's journey such heart and drive; Park and Cola especially, as two women who might have only at first become friends because of their isolation, but who are each other's yin and yang.

But this is above all an ensemble piece - by the end, you have no problem believing this four very different souls would form a tight bond not only because of their experiences, but their respect for each other's choices. And yes, it's damn funny, and that humour has just the right amount of gross out and reverence (I'll be waiting for the Brownie Tuesday album). Joy Ride is indeed just that.

Joy Ride is currently in cinemas across North America.