The Wedding Banquet

While watching The Wedding Banquet, I found myself thinking that it would have made a very good short film. This Taiwanese-American comedy about generational and cultural conflict has fifty minutes of genuine energy stretched into an hour and fifty minute film. There are moments of real charm and insight, but ultimately the sluggish pace doesn't hold them together. Wei-Tung (Winston Chao) and Simon (Mitchell Lichtenstein) are a gay couple living together in Manhattan. Taiwanese immigrant …

…acceptable had strong characters been present to pull me along, but I was simply never caught up enough in their lives. It's difficult not to recommend The Wedding Banquet, since it's heart seems so firmly in the right place. It has its moments, and the themes of familial conflict may strike a chord with many viewers. However, I just never found myself caring quite enough, and I found myself looking at my watch too frequently.