One of the highlights of the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival this year was a comedy feature – The Wedding Palace – which resonated with audiences from start to finish.
When the flick – directed by Christine Yoo - first sputtered to life on the wide-screen in the plush environs of the DGA on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, the rapt audience immediately settled in for a madcap night of zany comedy.
In the opening scenes, as the upbeat fast-paced story unfolded on the wide-screen, filmgoers learned that Jason (the lead character) was an advertising executive pining for love.
Aren't we all?
But, the handsome bachelor’s yearning to get hitched to the woman of his dreams is constantly thwarted by overzealous matchmaking parents, bent on pairing their handsome charismatic son with a suitable bride from a good family with a financially secure bakground.
Such is the Asian American tradition!
“You’ll learn to love each other over time,” his parents wisely counseled him about the ways of the world, when he voiced his disapproval over the young lady chosen by his parents to be betrothed to.
When an unsuitable bride sashays into the picture (from his family's point of view) and captures Jason heart, his conniving mother's plots to nix what appears to be an ominous union arising from an ancient curse on the family.
Oh yes, the young Lothario's parents are a superstitious lot!
The delightful love story– sparked with quite a bit of funny dialogue (and hilarious sight gags sprinkled in for good measure) - is vastly entertaining,
And, true to Hollywood filmmaking, ends happily.
But, not before a bumpy turn-of-events threatens to prevent Jason from finding true love.
At an informative Q & A after the screening, Ms. Yoo noted that the film was a labor of love, and several years in the making.
Yoo is a petite pretty Asian American (refreshingly shy and down-to-earth) who was raised in the heartland of America.
Understandably, the first-time director's project has a lot of appeal for the Asian-American community.
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However, because comedy is universal - as is the subject of love - filmgoers in the mainstream of American will find this well-crafted flick appealing, too.
“I was striving for a frothy dream-like quality in keeping with the theme,” the stylish beauty (with a bbeautiful flower headdress weaved into her lustrous locks) underscored in so many words when I quizzed her at the DGA about the cinematography which was outstanding.
Yoo achieved that goal in spades.
Although there were a couple of awkward amateurish moments onscreen – delivered up by a couple of hams in the cast – for the post part "The Wedding Palace" cruised along without a hitch.
Until the young couple - through thick-and-thin - finally gets hitched, of course!
In spite of the fact the comedy is solid bill-of-fare, the director has yet to land a distribution deal.
I expect that technicality will pan out in the near future - at which point - Ms. Yoo's funny flick will be in a theatre near you soon!
Catch it if you can.
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