The Wedding Banquet Review (BFI Flare 2025)

Director Andrew Ahn has made a virtue out of a necessity. Re-working Ang Lee’s early 90s Oscar nominated The Wedding Banquet was always going to be a big ask. But changes in the law and society meant a contemporary re-interpretation would need a new narrative. What he’s created isn’t a simply a re-working – it’s a different film.

There are two couples at the heart of his version of the arthouse favourite: Chris (the ubiquitous Bowen Yang) and Min (Han Gi-chan), as well as Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone). The latter are desperate to become parents but, when Lee’s second round of IVF fails, she can’t face the prospect of a third. Coming from a wealthy family, Min can give them the money for the next treatment, but he needs a Green Card to stay in the country, so his solution is to marry Angela. The inevitable comedy of errors kicks off with the arrival of Min’s formidable grandmother (Minari’s Youn Yuh-jung) who turns out to be something of a surprise package – and one that helps the two couples find their way through their tangled relationships.

What on paper sounds like endearing froth that could have been just another streaming service comedy neatly dodges that bear trap thanks to an intelligent choice of narrative – gay marriage is now replaced by IVF for the lesbian couple, with something test tube-free thrown in to complicate matters – and an ensemble cast who extract every bit of humour from the script with elegance. They bring smiles, giggles and full-blown laughs to the screen, as individuals, pairs and groups and are genuinely funny.

The inevitable stereotypes are in there as well, with Joan Chen stealing all her scenes – no mean feat, given the cast – as Angela’s mother, a woman who supports the gay community as loudly and publicly as she can yet, behind that image, still finds it impossible to truly understand her daughter. Every public word of support that comes out of her mouth makes the truth only too apparent. But Ahn takes great pleasure in up-turning stereotypes as well, with the grandmother turning out to be a million miles away from the usual stern matriarch and watching Chen and Youn’s characters discover they have more in common than they suspected is a real delight.

It’s the cast that makes sure everybody has a smile on their face during The Wedding Banquet and Ahn has chosen beautifully. Lily Gladstone brings her customary depth and presence to Lee, who goes through the heartbreak of failed IVF attempts with as much strength as she can muster, while Bowen Yang’s Chris comes perilously close to losing the love of his life because of his own insecurities and indecisions. Will it all work out? You bet. Would we have it any other way? Not in the slightest. The focus may at times be just a little too soft, but it’s impossible not to be engaged by what is such a squidgy bao bun of a movie.

★★★★

Played at BFI Flare on 19, 20 and 30 March and in UK cinemas on 9 May / Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, Kelly Marie Tran, Joan Chen, Han Gi-Chan, Youn Yuh-jung / Dir: Andrew Ahn / Universal Pictures