The Wedding Banquet

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

I wasn't sure how a remake would work with And Lee's classic queer romantic comedy but color me surprise, the remake does a pretty good job on being creative from it's source material with new energy, humor, and atmosphere. Andrew Ahn is a director I have been keeping up with as his work Spa Night, Driveways and Fire Island have been pretty great and emotional engaging to observe. Here, Ahn's direction on the atmosphere, dialogue, and the character dynamics are pretty good. Being able to capture the emotions, hilarious dynamics, and some of the oddity and funny moments in both heartwarming and somewhat chaotic ways.

With a good presentation, all of the performances are great as many of the cast members are able to provide fun energy, personality and purpose to their characters. Bowen Yang particular stands out at his best. Narrative-wise, I do appreciate some new themes they were able to explore but there are some moments that felt a little uninspired with the concepts and dynamics that Ahn explores. Including how the production feels almost too fake like something from Netflix and some of the structure feels a little strange, which does make some moments a bit distracting and dragging a bit.

But overall, I didn't expect much for this remake but it was surprisingly not too bad and it went beyond the expectations.

The Wedding Banquet is a delightful, heartfelt remake of Ang Lee's 1993 classic that takes a beloved, time-honored premise and refreshes it for a new era. While the original film navigated issues of immigration, identity, and secrecy in a delicate blend of drama and comedy, this film shifts the focus toward relationships and personal growth, exploring the emotional depth of its characters with humor and sincerity.

The film's comedy, though undeniably lighthearted, works largely because the film is brisk, without sacrificing the emotional truth of the characters. The narrative unfolds at a fast pace, each twist and turn propelled by a charming, almost sitcom-like energy.

While the plot may feel predictable at times, and some of the situations bordering on farce, the direction allows the characters to shine through the chaos, striking a balance, using humor to gloss over some of the more contrived plot points, yet never losing sight of the genuine emotional moments at the film's heart.

The blend of comedy and sincerity is where the film truly excels. It never leans too heavily into one side, allowing for moments of deep emotional truth to coexist with the lighthearted absurdity of the characters' increasingly ridiculous plans. When the film slows down, the dialogue crackles with authenticity-especially during the quieter exchanges.

There is, however, a sense that the film could have pushed further into daring or edgier territory. It does not venture into particularly risky or provocative comedic waters. While this makes it a more accessible film for a broader audience, it also feels, at times, a little safe. In the era of modern streaming comedies and edgy narratives, a more bold exploration of the entanglements that ensue might have added another layer of excitement or complexity to the film.

A remake of Ang Lee's 1993 classic (in some circles!) currently in theaters which doesn't necessarily rework the premise (a gay man agrees to marry a straight woman so she can gain her papers as a means to impress his traditionalist parents) but broaden it w/more characters to middling results. Gay couple SNL's Bowen Yang & Han Gi-chan are besties w/another couple Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone & Kelly Marie Tran who are trying to have a baby but are short raising cash for some invitro sessions. What can be done? Well since G-chan's grandmother, Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung, is coming to visit w/news to unseat him as a head of her company, the two couples decide to trick Yuh-jung into thinking G-chan is getting married to Tran (Tran will be paid so she can pay her medical bills) which sounds good but in fact turns the players' world upside down as they try to maintain their ruse which becomes a comedy of errors which'll have audiences rolling in their seats but it doesn't since by adding more characters to the mix & making the film now more gay friendly & overt (something the original didn't do since yes the characters happened to be gay but their lives didn't depend on that fact), the end product ends up being both overstuffed & underfed which when viewed through the prism of Lee's version is a shame & a slog to sit through.

I know, I know, as a gay man I was supposed to love this movie (just like I did the original). But sad to say, this remake is not very enjoyable.

They get credit for putting new twists on the plot vs. The original, but pacing is waaaaay too slow and it takes forever to get going. Quite honestly, there's very little humor. The first hour drags and is pretty boring, and it's not until the grandmother shows up that things get interesting. The grandmother, in fact, is the most interesting character in the entire movie. Dialogue is mundane and the few funny lines stand out simply because there are so few of them.

With all the talent they had on hand, this could've been so much better.

I had all but forgotten about the original 1993 movie until after I saw this one, and watching them back to back really makes you appreciate a brilliant filmmaker like Ang Lee that comes but once in a generation.

Without comparing it to the OG, my initial thought of this remake was that I wouldn't have lasted 20 minutes if it weren't created for audiences like me (millennial, Chinese, green card, marriage, IVF). It has the premise of a romcom but without the comedy, the design of an indie drama without the raw emotional punch except in a few places, and all the insufferable qualities of contemporary mainstream filmmaking.

After watching the original, my main complaint of this film is now...there's no banquet! The OG was brimming with culture, a true banquet made to dazzle, literally and figuratively. It appears filmmaking, like banquets, has become a lost art.