THE WEDDING BANQUET
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1993 James Berardinelli
Rating (Linear 0 to 10): 7.4
Date Released: varies Running Length: 1:49 Rated: NR (Mature themes, sexual situations, brief nudity)
Starring: Winston Chao, May Chin, Mitchell Lichtenstein, Sihung Lung, Ah-Leh Gua Director: Ang Lee Producers: Ang Lee, Ted Hope, and James Schamus Screenplay: Ang Lee, Neil Peng, and James Schamus Music: Mader Released by The Samuel Goldwyn Company In English and Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles
Wai-Tung (Winston Chao) has a problem. Living in New York with a well-paying job, a nice home, and a stable relationship (with Simon, played by Mitchell Lichtenstein), everything would appear to be going his way. But his parents, unaware of his sexual proclivities, are expecting a marriage and grandchildren, and Wai hasn't been able to get up the courage to tell them that he's gay. But an apparent solution to the dilemma presents itself when Wei Wei (May Chin), a tenant in a building owned by Wai, must find a way to get a green card or face deportation. As a result, a marriage of convenience is arranged between the pair, and everything seems to be working out well until Wai's parents arrive from China to plan the wedding banquet.
What at first seems like a simple romantic comedy is actually a deceptively perceptive look at cultural, sexual, and generational differences. And, despite THE WEDDING BANQUET's often-light, occasionally-playful tone, a forceful dramatic structure underlies the film. Of course, this is what usually makes for the best kind of comedy - a movie that cares more about its story and characters than making people laugh.
There are a lot of tangled relationships in this film, but all of them, no matter how complicated or confusing, are handled expertly. Everyone's motivations are clear, and for once there's no villain, unless you choose to name circumstances as the antagonist. It's refreshing when a movie comes along that allows you to enjoy spending two hours with the people on screen.
Writer/director/producer Ang Lee, a Chinese-American film maker, displays a remarkable ability to present and balance issues without becoming preachy, and while also avoiding the dangerous trap of cliches and stereotypes. All the characters have their own unique identities, and their emotions come shining through.
While there isn't anything revolutionary in the story, and some of the "twists" are easy to predict, it's never clear until the end how everything is going to be resolved. Given the nature of the central triangular relationship (Wai, Wei Wei, and Simon), I had visions of a horrible, Hollywood-type conclusion that would have destroyed all my respect for the film. Thankfully, that did not happen, which shows the intelligence, good taste, and sensitivity of everyone involved.
Although it deals with potentially-weighty issues and some very powerful emotional impulses, THE WEDDING BANQUET never becomes bogged down by its own seriousness. Lee manages to keep the production buoyant by including scenes that are often riotously funny.
The actors are uniformly good. May Chin, a huge pop star in Taiwan, gives a complex rendering of Wei Wei, managing to bring across the churning emotions of the one person in this film who really has no one. Despite this being his screen debut, Winston Chao is as impressive as any veteran, and there are no readily apparent chinks in his performance. Mitchell Lichtenstein's Simon could easily have slipped into obscurity, but the actor manages a strong enough presence to avoid such an ignominious fate. Stately and dignified, Sihung Lung and Ah-Leh Gua breathe life into Mr. and Mrs. Gao, Wai's parents.
It's understandable why THE WEDDING BANQUET won the Golden Bear award at the 1993 Berlin Film Festival, and the Best Film and Best Director citations at the 1993 Seattle International Film Festival. There is enough depth in this picture to fill up several movies, yet THE WEDDING BANQUET shortchanges none of its interwoven storylines. While I won't go so far as to say that this is a magical motion picture, it certainly serves as excellent entertainment on more than one level.
- James Berardinelli (blake7@cc.bellcore.com)
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