An aspiring stand up comedian finds himself caring for his teenage cousin in Stand Up Man. Moses Kim (Daniel Jun) is a Korean-Canadian comedian, who moves back to Windsor from Toronto to run his parent’s Japanese restaurant, following his marriage to Yoojin (Rosalina Lee). Already dissatisfied with life in Windsor, Moses is shocked to find out that his parents have allowed his teenage cousin Joon-Ho (Daegun Daniel Lee) to come live with him while attending school to learn English. Joon-Ho ends up joining a K-Pop dance group run by Olga (Jessie Cox) and wants Moses’ help for an upcoming competition.
Stand Up Man is a comedy about a man learning to accept life in his hometown, as he helps his younger cousin adjust to life in Canada. With him being a terrible chef at his parent’s restaurant and frustrated at a lack of intimacy in his marriage, Moses would like nothing better than to move back to Toronto and pursue his career in comedy. However, Moses will have to learn to be more responsible when he finds himself having to care for his orange haired cousin Joon-Ho, who has arrived in Windsor to study.
Stand Up Man is a relatively lighthearted comedy that tells a story of family and acceptance. I do have to make note that the film glosses over some things that might be an issue in other movies, such as the casual racism at Joon-Ho’s school or the fact that Joon-Ho is made the token Korean member of a K-Pop dance group. Instead, Stand Up Man opts to be a relatively conflict-free film, with all issues being quickly resolved, and more a film about a man learning through his cousin that life in Windsor isn’t all that bad.
FAIR