Sundance 2025: ‘The Wedding ceremony Banquet’ is an Excellent Remake
by Alex Billington
February 4, 2025
Top-of-the-line experiences at a movie competition is strolling in to see a movie not anticipating to care a lot about it, and strolling out so blown away you possibly can’t cease speaking about it and desirous about it. That is what occurred with me watching Andrew Ahn’s new tackle The Wedding ceremony Banquet on the 2025 Sundance Movie Pageant this yr. You by no means know when this may occur, you by no means know which movie this may occur with, however when it does occur it is my responsibility to ensure I spend some additional time and a spotlight speaking in regards to the movie. The Wedding ceremony Banquet is a 2025 remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 movie of the identical title (which I’ve not really seen earlier than). This model of the story is up to date to concentrate on a bunch of 4 associates – a lesbian couple and a homosexual couple, all of whom reside collectively in the identical home in Seattle. They’re all finest associates which performs into the story as a result of their friendships / relationships begin to crisscross once they begin to determine what to do with their future and how you can transfer ahead collectively (or not, maybe, if they cannot determine issues out…). I laughed, I cried, I smile, I cheered, I wiped away tears. That is unquestionably certainly one of my favourite movies of the competition.
The Wedding ceremony Banquet is directed by Andrew Ahn as his fourth function movie, and written by Andrew Ahn and James Schamus. That is certainly one of these movies that’s finest skilled with out realizing each twist & flip within the story earlier than watching it. And I will not talk about all of those moments as a result of the emotional affect they’ve once they’re revealed is essential. These are additionally the moments which have caught with me for days after the screening ended. Bowen Yang and Han Gi-chan star as Chris and Min, a long-term homosexual couple struggling to determine if marriage is the following step; Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran additionally star as Lee and Angela, a deeply in love lesbian couple attempting to having a child by means of IVF. Joan Chen additionally seems as Angela’s overbearing mom Could Chen, and Academy Award winner Youn Yuh-jung additionally has an exquisite position as Min’s grandmother Ja-Younger, who’s the catalyst for many of what occurs within the movie. I used to be not anticipating to be this astonished and moved and charmed by this forged and every little thing that occurs with them. I believed it could simply be a enjoyable comedy a couple of wild & loopy wedding ceremony banquet, but it surely’s a lot greater than that. It is an intricate, fastidiously crafted, healthful, superbly intimate, lovely story stuffed with love & chaos & household.
The forged on this has such a ravishing dynamic – their interconnected relationships and the way they’re dealt with on this story are sensational. You will fall in love with them, it is exhausting to not after watching. The comedy is recent and enjoyable and funky, exploring LGBTQ themes in addition to household drama and Pacific Northwest quirks aplenty. It is merely magnificent ensemble storytelling. That is one other highly effective crowd-pleaser comedy, an emotional masterpiece. The best way Ahn is ready to dance between humor and heartbreak, love and laughter, is exceptional. It is the mark of a filmmaker getting increasingly assured with each movie he makes – particularly when he finds the proper forged. The Korean granny efficiency by Youn Yuh-jung is simply the most effective. There’s a cause she already has an Oscar and I might not even assume twice nominating her once more for this position. I cherished virtually every little thing about this movie (just a few tiny nitpicks) and emerged from this screening instantly sending messages to my household & associates telling them it is a should see favourite from Sundance 2025. Despite the fact that it’s one other a remake, despite the fact that it’s an replace on already beloved basic, it stands by itself as a terrific modern queer comedy. I can not watch for it to hit theaters to observe it once more and convey everybody I do know.
Alex’s Sundance 2025 Score: 9 out of 10
Comply with Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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