The Wedding Banquet
This review was originally published on January 28 , 2025 , as a part of our Sundance Film Festival coverage .
Every once in a while , a film come along that touch you in the most unexpected agency . The Wedding Banquet , a laugh - out - loud comedy that has a big heart , is one such movie . A remake of Ang Lee ’s 1993 motion-picture show , director Andrew Ahn ’s variation — which he co - spell with James Schamus , the original film ’s co - writer — maintains the premise but makes the narration whole his own . The ensemble cast is immaculate and has fantastic interpersonal chemistry and comedic timing . The combination of cast of characters and storytelling makes for an emotionally gorgeous , hilarious , and touching film that you ’ll want to rewatch over and over again .
Angela Chen ( Kelly Marie Tran ) and her partner Lee ( Lily Gladstone ) are taste to have a child through IVF . Lee is fully committed to being a female parent and having a family with Angela , who ’s still work through issues with her overzealous mother ( Joan Chen ) , now a large supporter of the LGBTQ+ community . Chris ( Bowen Yang ) is a dedication - phobe but loves his young man Min ( Han Gi - chan ) , who need to marry Chris . There ’s a problem : Min ’s green card is about to die and if he does n’t fit in to moderate his family ’s company , his grandmother ( Youn Yuh - jung ) will send him back to Korea .
The Romantic Comedy Is Heartfelt & Genuinely Funny
The Wedding Banquetmakes quite a few changes to the original film to better reflect its modern-day setting and it ’s all the better for it . There are n’t too many remaking that are uncoerced to take danger , but Ahn put his heart and soulfulness into the picture and his and Schamus ' script balances multiple stories at once with ease . The characters and their individual write up are all established early on , and their interactions light up the film .
The moving-picture show has great characters ; they ’re mussy and fun , lovable and deep .
There are plenty of comical import — like when Min , after his proposal is scorn by Chris and Angela , who he asked to espouse him for his green card and to appease his gran , plunk down on a chair and declares his ego has been spite . But the film is also burst with unassumingness . The Wedding Banquettackles unmanageable subject with a dear fluidness . Chris and Angela are particularly mussy grapheme and they live it , which is where much of the conflict come from .
Acceptance , love , and the family one can create for themselves are all attractively explored themes . Angela ’s human relationship with her female parent is fill up with hullabaloo , but there ’s a hatful of lovemaking there , as well as a learning breaking ball for her female parent . Min ’s family relationship with his grandma is initially tense , but when she go far from Korea to contrive him a wedding , their relationship deepens . Family is an crucial panorama of the romantic comedy , but so is friendship and romance . The film has majuscule characters ; they ’re messy and fun , lovable and deep . Ahn ’s film is refreshing , offering a delightful take on romance tropes .
The Wedding Banquet’s Cast Is Exceptional
They Look Like They’re Having A Blast
The Wedding Banquet ’s ensemble cast is one of the best you ’ll likely see this year . Not only is it rare for us to be gifted with a wildly entertaining drollery , but it ’s rarer when you’re able to palpate the honey between the assembled cast onscreen . Kelly Marie Tran , best eff for playing Rose inStar Wars : The Last Jedi , is wonderful . She imbues Angela with a sense of self - deprecation and ironical humor , but it ’s clear to see through Tran ’s portraying how in pain Angela is . Tran layer Angela ’s journey with a mountain chain of emotion , balance her insecurity with wry temper .
Lily Gladstone is always a delight to watch onscreen . As Lee , she ’s calm and collected but also sly and witty . She patiently wait for Angela but is in a more static spot emotionally , able-bodied to communicate any of the hurt or trepidation she feels about her and Angela ’s future . Gladstone and Tran have tremendous chemistry and I instantly feel invest in their relationship . Han Gi - chan is lovely . He plays Min ’s exasperation with Chris with a comical slant that does n’t weaken the very tangible feelings underneath . He wears his center on his sleeve and is n’t ashamed of the beloved he feels .
electrifying , sharp dance numbers , glitzy costumes & campy dialogue all come together to produce a dazzling musical that has a few flaw .
In a modern twist on Ang Lee’s classic, Min (Han Gi-chan) proposes a green-card marriage to his friend Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) to secure his stay in the U.S. and fund IVF treatments for Angela’s partner, Lee (Lily Gladstone). Complications arise when Min’s grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) arrives from Seoul to plan an extravagant Korean wedding banquet.
Bowen Yang is also fantastic . He ’s perhaps the most anxious of the group , though Angela comes in second . His dry sense of humour and theatrics ca n’t hide his character ’s debilitating fear of dedication . But although Yang soak Chris with the kind of dread of committing that anyone of us can feel , his reference is the least flesh out . I never fully sympathize Chris ’ hesitation to get hitched with Min beyond his reverence of Min losing everything — his money and his family — in one fell slide . But that ’s just a cover - up for feelings Chris has that are not entirely explored .
But this is a little quibble in a film that is overwhelmingly heartwarming , funny , and tender . Ahn has a hit on his hand . The Wedding Banquetis up there with some ofthe well amatory comediesin late years . It ’s touching , with secure theme and a mostly unseamed executing . The film will make you laugh and exclaim in adequate measurement . The cast is so warm and it ’s exonerated they ’re have a neat time , which makes the picture all the more playfulness to watch . The tycoon of love and friendship is solid in this exuberant read-only memory - com that is oozing with comedy and charm .
The Wedding Banquetpremiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival and is now work in dramaturgy .
In a modern turn on Ang Lee ’s classic , Min ( Han Gi - chan ) propose a unripe - card marriage ceremony to his friend Angela ( Kelly Marie Tran ) to secure his halt in the U.S. and fund IVF treatments for Angela ’s cooperator , Lee ( Lily Gladstone ) . complicatedness arise when Min ’s grandmother ( Youn Yuh - jung ) make it from Seoul to project an profligate Korean wedding feast .
