LONG before Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee tread the very tempestuous waters of gay relationships, this one set in the contemporary US of the 1990s. The twist here is he incorporated the mores and issues that came within his own familiar setting; the traditional Chinese family, where the expectations are for the male heirs to marry and produce MORE male heirs for the legacy. The real beauty in this film is that behind the standard expectation of what one would expect in a traditional Chinese family, we get an insider's view and see the reality and humanity behind the characters, to the point we actually get drawn in and sympathize with them (without necessarily agreeing with them). Some of the actors were very visibly novices, yet the polish, script and overall production came off masterfully. Definitely worth watching, especially for anyone who enjoy's Ang Lee films.
Review of The Wedding Banquet
