Capsule reviews for April 18
Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Gladstone, Han Gi-chan, and Bowen Yang star in THE WEDDING BANQUET. (Photo:: Bleecker Street)
The President’s Wife
The legendary Catherine Deneuve shines in the title role of this lighthearted biopic about former French First Lady Bernadette Chirac, which makes for a delightful examination of political sexism and media savvy. When her husband, Jacques (Michel Vuillermoz), became the French president in the mid-1990s, timid Bernadette set aside her own ambitions to help the campaign, only to be treated as antiquated window dressing. So she changes her image and finds her voice while becoming outspoken for her own causes, eventually outshining her husband in popularity polls. Rookie director Lea Domenach keeps the pace lively, while Deneuve brings depth and sympathy beneath the playful embellishments. (Not rated, 93 minutes).
The Ugly Stepsister
With style and attitude to spare, this imaginative Norwegian horror-comedy offers an audacious new perspective on the venerable Cinderella story with a twisted view on beauty. It’s set in a fairy-tale world of heightened superficiality in which Elvira (Lea Myren) struggles to get along with her alluring new stepsister, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Naess). When a dashing prince (Isac Calmroth) announces a search for his bride, Elvira and Agnes intensify their rivalry in a misguided quest for approval with dire consequences. The subversive screenplay by rookie director Emilie Blichfeldt eventually shifts into familiar genre territory, although the striking visuals and intriguing subtext elevate the gore. (Not rated, 110 minutes).
The Wedding Banquet
An affectionate if sometimes silly update of Ang Lee’s acclaimed 1993 romantic comedy, this crowd-pleasing remake from director Andrew Ahn (Fire Island) offers an amusing and inclusive look at contemporary queer relationships. In this case, Chris (Bowen Yang) lives in a Seattle rented garage with Min (Han Gi-chan), whose student visa is about to expire and whose grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung) wants him to return to Korea, unaware of his sexuality. Meanwhile, their landlords (Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran) are a lesbian couple with their own dysfunctional family issues. The film’s winning ensemble cast adds a layer of poignancy and cultural relevance alongside the broader laughs. (Rated R, 102 minutes).