My Wedding and Other Secrets

This movie really moved because their love is so real and I was raised in strict Indian family, she wrote her family so well. My favorite part is with her Mother when she cooks for her. If you liked Eat Drink Man Woman you will get a lot out of this film. A story about fitting in to a the society you raised in and then entering the other world of your family home and all the traditions and communities that entails.

The love story is brilliant if you like crying. James did so well to empress his new family and it shows his side of what he goes through. I was reminded of my first love and how that shaped and changed me. There are not too many coming of age stories based in New Zealand.

What also impressed about this movie was she explores life from her Dad perspective and that is rare.

I recommend this movie for the whole family but especially teenagers.

I am a man, and not really into reviewing "Date Movies" but My Wedding and Other secrets is a lovely little film. It's not going to change the world in any way, but it's a diverting and well made bit of cinema.

At the heart of it, MWAOS is simple, personal love story that bridges the race divide in contemporary New Zealand, and let's face it, the major plot line on it's own is no reason to see this film. It's been done a million times before. What makes this more than just a "Bend it Like Beckham" clone is that it's based on the director, Roseanne Liang's, own true story. It gets quite meta at times, as the film heavily references the making of it's own principal source material, a documentary make by Liang about the relationship, upon which the film was based.

The intimacy these links provide brings a definite charismatic warmth into the film. Certainly, the performances of the two leads are OK if not brilliant, but the gentle awkwardness of the two protagonists has a real, personal charisma to it. They are watchable and relatable, although I do wonder why Emily didn't ever invest in a less naff set of eyeglasses.

The supporting cast is filled with interesting characters. In particular Emily's entire family (especially the mincing, gossipy Aunty) and James' super-geeky flatmates grab your attention every chance they get.

In summary, it's a warm and affable love story, told well by a decent cast. But the really memorable thing about this film is the intimacy brought to every level of the production by Liang herself.

Simply awful. I do not think such Chinese family exists. The parents are simply dictators and the daughters almost have no self-respects (in terms of chasing their own happiness). The portrait of the Chinese family is so distorted. The Chinese aren't like this at all. This is just some weird, suppressed, odd and pathetic family that only exists in a screen play.

The costumes are quite awful. How many people dress like Emily nowadays? Unbelievable. And the actress looks like she's 40 years old. Why can't she wear just a bit of make-up to look real everyday people?!

Watch at your own risk.

This film is a romantic comedy about culture clash and acceptance. At times it feels more genuine than the hyper stylised Hollywood romance films, but at other times it feels more contrived. The most important thing is that the characters all felt real. By the way, it directly featured the exact building in which I was watching the film itself, which was a strange thing to see.

While the movie is billed as a "romance," the fact that it is based on a true story actually gives the film more of a dramatic edge than perhaps the title and the billing of the film fail to alert audiences too, and sadly, may deter those who love a great drama from going to see. So for those who wanna see a romantic film, you'll love this…and for those who love dramas, here is why you should see this film! My Wedding and Other Secrets is based on a documentary by Rosanne Liang called Banana In a Nutshell about her real life experiences; that in and of itself is part of the reasons why the film is so successful. Gone are all the nice ribbons and bows and cute little one-liners you would expect in a "romance" and instead you experience real characters with depth and with real conversation and interactions that are tangible. While in the end the film ends on a happy note as you'd expect from a romance, the journey to that point is littered with the complexities of human emotion, cultural differences, and the loving bond of family. Michelle Ang, who plays Emily Chu, does a wonderful job of creating a character torn between her love of a non-Chinese boyfriend and her family's "Chinese" expectations for their daughter. Emily is then pulled in so many directions in the film while she tries to decide what her life should be, and the best choices to make, and it is her performance that brings this drama to life. Matt Whelan, Pei-Pei Cheng, Kenneth Tsang and Mike Ginn all provide an exceptional supporting cast. Real life "Emily," Rosanne Liang, directed the film and her guidance has created a film with the perfect balance between romance and drama, making a very original "romance" film that is a great drama not to be missed.