Hyphen magazine - Asian American arts, culture, and politics

Don’t you just love a good ol’ fashioned hag-and-sassy-fag-unplanned-pregnancy-quest-for-true-love story? In The People I’ve Slept With, Angela (Karin Anna Cheung), a self-described slut, romps from one drunken sexual escapade to another — until her serial sack-hopping is derailed by the discovery that she’s pregnant by one of potentially five men. With the help of her queer BFF Gabriel (Wilson Cruz), Angela embarks on a wacky adventure to nab DNA samples from all the possible fathers. While Angela attempts to trick one into marrying her, Gabriel re-examines his life as a “gay cliché” and tries to win back his ex. While some moments are contrived and practically shriek “We’re the multiracial Will & Grace!” — the film does feature some memorable one-liners (“No smoking, no drinking, no coffee … getting knocked up is the worst STD ever!”). While the cheeky raunchiness plus a queer and multiethnic cast are refreshing, the film nevertheless embraces boilerplate rom-com aspirations: bad girls and boys that deep down want to be good, devoted partners. It may not aim to completely transform the status quo, but, for a playful, entertaining movie with a naughty twist, it’ll satisfy.

Directed by Quentin Lee
thepeopleivesleptwith.com