China's Lost Girls: Quick Takes

Lisa Ling is the star of the show here. There's no question about that. And that's this documentary's downfall--along with its insufficient running time. Here you have a topic that couldn't possibly be more ripe for filming: a group of families traveling to China to meet their newly adopted baby daughters for the first time. Everything about this situation screams human emotional connection. And the backdrop, China's bizarre social preference for men rather than women--a devastatingly myopic preference that threatens the entire country's future--is equally fascinating. Or, it would be if the cameras weren't stuck in Lisa Ling's hotel room filming her gush about how maybe she wants children too since they're so cute.

But don't let my crotchety critical opinion prevent you from watching this doc, since it is truly fascinating and, yes, emotional. All the good stuff is here, it's just in disproportion to Lisa Ling's screen time. Oh, and the CLASSIC part of this film is towards the end, when one of the the American fathers asks Lisa Ling in the airport, "So, when's the next 'Charlie's Angels' coming out?", clearly mistaking her for Lucy Liu (whom she does closely resemble). For me, that only drove home the point that Lisa Ling is not really anyone of consequence to the general public, and certainly not someone who should have been the focus of such a potentially amazing documentary.