Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Forumrxes Yo, there's no way for me to review this film without saying, take your *insert ethnicity + "ass" here* to see this film,like now. You have to see it in order to know what you're really messing with.

Anoushka Slater While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Raven-1969 Sometimes we obtain what we desire, but not the happiness and contentment we crave. This is the case for Wai-Tung and Wei-Wei. The odd couple, a woman seeking a green card and a gay man in an open relationship seeking a tax credit and his pushy traditional Chinese parents off his back, plan a marriage of convenience. At their wacky New York wedding banquet, a happy-go-lucky and openly erotic mish mash of Chinese and American traditions, Wei-Wei and Wai-Tung discover their souls crave something less tangible than what they first desired.One thing I love about Ang Lee films are the withering looks. Piercing eyes that could bust a bag of bricks at a glance. You'll see a few such glances here. They send shivers down your spine. The looks are Lee's unique and enthralling brand. They are peppered throughout his films, but sparingly. Another characteristic of Lee, one of my favorite directors, is depth. Do not make the mistake of judging this film by its cheesy cover. Lee has plenty of surprises and emotional shocks up his sleeves. The characters and themes come at you from a variety of perspectives and opposites; young and old, men and women, straight and otherwise, Chinese and American, and more. Another thing Lee is a master at is passion. His characters manage to melt your heart no matter who they are, kind or cruel. Enjoy each scene as it comes, for even at the start of his career, Lee is mesmerizing and magical. Despite the passage of 25 years since this film first emerged and my unabashed awe of Lee, it was my first time seeing this film.

Wizard-8 If you have been reading my reviews, you will probably know that normally a movie like "The Wedding Banquet" is not my normal cup of tea. But I sat down today to watch it after my Taiwanese girlfriend suggested that I give it a look. And I am very glad that I did. It was a comedy that was a refreshing change after seeing so many strident and in-your-face comedies from Hollywood. The tone here is much more laid back and gentle, and this easygoing attitude helps to make the movie captivating. The characters are much more realistic, and practically every character who makes an appearance is sympathetic and relatable, no matter what your ethnicity or sexual preference might be. As for the humor, it always has a ring of real life to it, and while you may not laugh out loud most of the time, the humor will give you a big smile on your face. This movie is a real sleeper, and I highly recommend you seek it out.

Martin Teller Like EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, it's an Ang Lee family drama. A successful gay Taiwanese man and a struggling Chinese woman living in New York arrange to get married: he to appease and deceive his parents, she for a green card. Although not as moving as the earlier film, it has some really fun comic moments, cultural insight, strong characters, and a lot of charm. All of the Asian actors are terrific and endearing, especially the parents played by Ya-lei Kuei and Sihung Lung (both returning from EDMW). The weak link in the cast is Mitchell Lichtenstein (Wai Tung's lover), who comes off as extremely bland and too much of a swell guy. There is something a little safe and sanitized about the whole thing, but it's respectful in its dealing with gay issues and overall is a pleasure to watch with a script that flows nicely.

jkdrummond There is absolutely nothing wrong with the production values, much less the acting in the film. And, to a degree, the inter-cultural difficulties that move the plot are sometimes - though, in my opinion, not very often - rather droll. What it lacks utterly is a believable script.First of all, by way of explanation - perhaps - I haven't liked a single film by Ang Lee that I've seen so far (4 now), with the single exception of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, and that had a great deal more to do with Emma Thompson's Oscar-winning screenplay than Lee's direction.I don't know what the "issues" Lee has with homosexuality, as such, might be, but there is simply no question in my mind and experience that the psychology of THE WEDDING BANQUET is flawed right down to the ground. THE central incident that drives the plot forward -- (SPOILER: **i.e., Winston Chao's acquiescing to May Chin's extremely importunate eliciting of a physical relationship** -- ES) -- could only have been written and directed by someone who doesn't have clue one about how virtually any gay man caught up in that kind of situation is going to react. Therefore, I do not think it unfair to opine that the ENTIRE plot is based -- apart from a few cultural quiddities about gay men in a traditional and/or homophobic society coming out -- on a false presumption; accordingly, the whole film becomes an exercise in mere twaddle: If your main plot reversal/complication is based on a psychologically invalid director's "I want it this way," then you have a tremendous flaw right at the heart of the script and -- old but true words -- you don't have a script, no matter how good everything else is, you just don't have a good film! And how can anyone think some gay person, male or female, knuckling under to cultural and tribal traditions and shibboleths is the stuff of comedy??? Literally millions of gay people have been and continue to be forced to compromise their lives and hearts and desires to fit into their cultures; this is scarcely funny; it, far more often, eventuates in emotional exile, mental illness, violence and, not infrequently, great tragedy.EDITORIAL COMMENT/POSSIBLE SPOILER: *This film is THE film that has made me dread Lee's directing BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (not yet released), the short story by Pulitzer winner Annie Proulx. With his clearly demonstrated lack of understanding and/or issues with "gay" sensibilities, I dread it.*