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’ll be able to’t cease speaking about it and eager 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 can occur, you by no means know which movie this can occur with, however when it does occur it is my responsibility to ensure I spend some further 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 truly seen earlier than). This model of the story is up to date to concentrate on a bunch of 4 pals – a lesbian couple and a homosexual couple, all of whom stay collectively in the identical home in Seattle. They’re all finest pals which performs into the story as a result of their friendships / relationships begin to crisscross after they begin to resolve what to do with their future and how one 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 considered one of my favourite movies of the competition.
The Wedding ceremony Banquet is directed by Andrew Ahn as his fourth characteristic movie, and written by Andrew Ahn and James Schamus. That is considered 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 after they’re revealed is vital. 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 resolve if marriage is the subsequent step; Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran additionally star as Lee and Angela, a deeply in love lesbian couple attempting to having a child via 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 thing that occurs with them. I believed it will simply be a enjoyable comedy a couple of wild & loopy marriage ceremony banquet, nevertheless it’s a lot greater than that. It is an intricate, rigorously crafted, healthful, fantastically intimate, lovable 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 may fall in love with them, it is arduous to not after watching. The comedy is contemporary 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 outstanding. It is the mark of a filmmaker getting an increasing number of assured with each movie he makes – particularly when he finds the right forged. The Korean granny efficiency by Youn Yuh-jung is simply the perfect. There’s a cause she already has an Oscar and I’d not even assume twice nominating her once more for this position. I liked virtually every thing about this movie (only some tiny nitpicks) and emerged from this screening instantly sending messages to my household & pals telling them it is a should see favourite from Sundance 2025. Though it’s one other a remake, although it’s an replace on already beloved traditional, it stands by itself as a terrific modern queer comedy. I can not await it to hit theaters to observe it once more and produce everybody I do know.
Alex’s Sundance 2025 Score: 9 out of 10
Observe Alex on Twitter – @firstshowing / Or Letterboxd – @firstshowing
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