Dim Sum Funeral Film Review

I was interested in this because of the Asian-Americanish cast of Lisa Lu, Bai Ling, Kelly Hu, Francoise Yip, Steph Song, Julia Nickson and Russel Wong. My only question is where was Ming-Na Wen? Too busy hanging out with Boba Fett? She usually shows up in Chinese family oriented films like this. Or at least in Joy Luck Club which hovers over this like a nagging mother. This tries so hard to capture that same warm sentimental vibe but this isn't directed by Wayne Wang or scripted by Amy Tan. It is instead directed by Anna Chi and scripted by Donald Martin and it is the script that lets the film down. The plot is as predictable as fruit getting moldy over time and the dialogue is so clunky that at times I felt embarrassed for the actors. They often looked uncomfortable or wooden reciting it. It is not painful just lackluster. At the same time, it is interesting in that it is seven days at a Chinese funeral. Which is a major effort if tradition is followed.

The matriarch Mrs. Xiao (Lisa Lu) is dead upon the beginning of the film. I thought poor Lisa Lu as we see her lying dead on the bed. Ok, there will have to be flashbacks. Right? She is a legend. Her long-time aide is played by Talia Shire and she calls her four children to tell them the news. Three daughters and a son. A movie dysfunctional family. Julia Nickson is separated from her white husband and is distraught over the death of her son; Francoise Yip has a black son and no husband, Steph Song is in a lesbian relationship with Bai Ling; Russell Wong is married to Kelly Hu and is cheating on her. Can't there be at least one of them living a life that mom would have been proud of. Well, they all hate mom as well - called the Dragon Lady. Talia Shire is the only one who seems to be Chinese! Mom wanted a traditional Chinese Funeral which means chanting monks, lots of prayer, funeral attire, buying the paper items to be burned that will accompany her to the next place, a reception of her friends and secrets coming out. Seven days of hell.

The children don't much like each other either - they kind of all suck in their own selfish ways. But don't be shocked that over the days they begin to come together again, love one another, realize their mother loved them and was a very generous person to others. Exactly where you knew the film was going from about five minutes in. Some of it is effective and I am a sucker for films like this, but it needed some finesse. There is a nice twist at the end. Which was corny.