A remake – or a reimagining – can be construed as long overdue, unnecessary or a welcome addition. Based on Ang Lee's 1993 film of the same name, The Wedding Banquet, directed by Andrew Ahn of Fire Island fame, fits very comfortably in the ‘welcome addition' category. With a truly fantastic cast taking the reins on this new version, the comedy hits and the emotions flow in this romantic comedy that's perfect for fans of the genre.

Four friends, Lee, Angela, Chris and Min live together, with the latter two in the guest house. Each couple is very much in love but they're thrown curve balls that test their relationships. Lee (Lily Gladstone) and Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) are struggling to conceive through IVF and can't afford another round of treatment. Min's (Han Gi-chan) visa is about to expire and his grandmother, who doesn't know he's gay, wants him back in Korea. Min also wants to get married to Chris (Bowen Yang) but the latter has reservations. Together the four friends decide to stage a wedding between Min and Angela, allowing Min to stay with Chris so long as he pays for the IVF treatment. But when Min's Grandmother arrives unexpectedly, all plans go out the window!

Set up with plenty of hijinks, relationship issues and miscommunications – not to mention a Chinese dragon drag act that keeps showing up and old friends getting drunk – there's a lot to enjoy in The Wedding Banquet. Outside of these comedic moments, the film has harder hitting, more emotional scenes. Particularly between Lee and Angela, with the latter not feeling confident that she'll be a good mother, and with Angela and her confrontations with her own mother May (Joan Chen). There are issues that feel bottled up, only to burst open at the worst time. It's what makes The Wedding Banquet a slight cut above the rest. This, and the fantastic chemistry between the leads.

However, despite the great cast, The Wedding Banquet is not without fault and it's a shame to even highlight them. There are scenes and story elements that don't quite knit together, leaving us without explanation or even context. Chris constantly rejects Min's marriage proposal and hints at not wanting to get married yet this is never really explored. It's hinted that this may be connected to his family when his cousin Kendall (Bobo Le) mentions ‘all that shit with our family', but all these hints leave us guessing as why Chris may be against marriage. There's also a sense that scenes between Angela and her mother were cut short and their reconciliation is hurried along to catch up with other events in the film. This is unfortunate as these moments are some of the more emotionally heightened ones in the film. With quite a lot to unpack, not enough time or space is given to these extra elements to unfold.

But Ahn's take on The Wedding Banquet is one that's meant to be full of fun, laughs and tears. Thankfully it's every bit the quintessential romantic comedy, complete with a satisfying ending for rom-com lovers.

The Wedding Banquet was the Opening Night Gala at BFI Flare and will be released in cinemas on 9th May