THE WEDDING BANQUET

THE WEDDING BANQUET

Directed by Andrew Ahn

How lucky are we as movie-goers to have yet another charming and delightful queer romantic comedy. One made with love and care, with genuine emotional beats and connections. A story about cultural identity and the universal problems that come with family, even if they are loving and accepting.

A remake of a 1995 Ang Lee film that I had never heard of, we follow 2 queer couples who are all besties. Lee and Angela (Lily Gladstone & Kelly Marie Tran) have been trying to have a baby via IVF and have been unsuccessful. Chris and Min (Bowen Yang & Han Gi-chan) are committed and in love but things get complicated when Min is about to lose his work visa and get deported. Feeling uncomfortable with a "green card marriage", Chris rejects Min's marriage proposal. What to do? Min offers to pay for the girls third and final IVF treatment if Angela agrees to marry him for citizenship. 

What could go wrong? Well chaos and hilarity ensues when Min's grandmother surprise visits him from Korea to oversee the wedding banquet. Now everyone has to play a role and go along but Grandma is more perceptive than she lets on. Secrets are revealed and relationships are put to the test, all packaged in a very sweet rom-com. The absolutely dynamite cast completely understood the assignment and what could've been more broad and stereotypical instead is subtle and naturalistic. 

So happy to see Lily Gladstone in a fun queer romantic role after her harrowing Oscar nominated performance in "Killers of the Flower Moon". She is an illuminated presence and I really hope to see her in more fun varied roles. Ditto for Kelly Marie Tran, who narrowly escaped the dungeon that is the racist Star Wars fan base. Bowen Yang is continuing his gay dominance and is proving to have the chops and skills for a long career. The real kicker to me was newcomer Han Gi-chan, an established Korean TV actor - this is his first American film role. I am totally in love with him, he's so sweet and funny and just the cutest thing I've ever seen. 

There are fun silly plot twists I didn't really see coming, and the scenes with family bonding are done so well. Would make an excellent double feature with "A Nice Indian Boy", the other gay rom-com from last month. Do yourself a favor and RSVP to this wedding banquet.

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 out of 4