Dim Sum Funeral (2008)

Sorry, this movie sucks

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

Admirable film.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

This was just on HBO. After watching for a few minutes, I checked to see if I was really watching HBO rather than Hallmark. Sure enough, 'Dim Sum Funeral' was written by the King of the Hallmark Movies. What could have been a look into Chinese culture turned into yet another pile of schlock. Blech.

I watched this film for two reasons. First, I lived in Asia for a while, so I like a little re-taste of the culture. Second, I've always liked Russell Wong, who plays the son here. Unfortunately, I felt disappointed with both aspects of the film.The only thing moderately interesting about the film is the surprise ending...IF you don't see it coming...which I did. That means everything else is a disappointment, as well. And monk spunk...I'm sorry, but I don't think you just masturbate into a styrofoam cup in order to artificially inseminate someone. I thought my family was screwed up. We couldn't hold a candle to the family portrayed here. In fact, that's my main complaint -- far too much animosity among family members.I'm not very impressed with the cast, either. Russell Wong was a disappointment here, although I have liked him in other films and his short-lived television series. The other actors and actresses here were totally unfamiliar to me. They all did their jobs, but nobody stood out.Nope. I may enjoy Asian culture. But I didn't much enjoy this film.

It's rare for me to post anything about a bad movie, particularly one I've not even finished watching yet, but my gods this is a dreadful flick. Self-righteous, preachy, maudlin, clichéd and simply embarrassing rip-off of the much superior Joy Luck Club. I'm just waiting for someone to cry out in anguish "Mom loved you best!" Not sure how long I can actually keep my dinner down for..."Tradition. It's important" "Yes. It is."I approached this film thinking there might be some interesting ethnographic material about ethnic Chinese funeral customs, but when one of the daughters who is lesbian, approached one of the officiating monks about being a sperm donor so she and her partner can conceive, and then he produces a turkey baster filled with 'monk spunk' and the realization he is not cut out to be a monk... And the final plot twist of the film ... why? At what point did a grown person think, "hey- this is a good idea". Truly a remarkable entry in the slop bucket of contemporary cinema.

This movie tries desperately to be in so many other movies footsteps that it just winds up tripping all over itself. This movie is essentially The Joy Luck Club's, Ugly Twin Sister. Although the writing is bad, it's not completely a mess. I do like that it tries to show that Chinese Americans are progressive in American society, but it never departs from some serious jingoistic dialog that seems borrowed from a bag of fortune cookies. The Family is actually a bore, but the writer thinks that by making one a lesbian, and another marry a Black Man would make them more interesting. Also, having all the non-family members play completely humble, somewhat quirky, incredibly understanding, and knowledgeable to the family's "attitude" is just unbelievable. The Directing is somewhat amateurish but better than some Chinese Soap Serials. The actors are all so stiff in their performances - I've seen better performances with claymation. On the bright side, Russle Wong's acting has improved just enough to be the best performance in the whole movie - that's bad.