Product: Dim Sum Funeral (2009)
Rating: 1.0
Dim quality movie
Seeing this on the heels of "Okuribito" (Departures) was a study in contrasts. Both involved coping with death, but the similarities ended there. While "Okuribito" was well-written, acted, and filmed with an involving story and likable characters, "Dim Sum Funeral" was a complete turn-off.A controlling first-generation Chinese-American woman died and requested that her dysfunctional, self-absorbed children give her a traditional Chinese funeral. They were so Americanized it took the help of their Jewish nanny/ mother's-assistant to fill them in on protocol. The story contained so many twists and complications in the characters' lives that it appeared to be a formulaic exercise in seeing how many problems and how much diversity could be crammed into a 1 1/2 hour film. Ordinary Asian Americans didn't bring enough to the table, so how about making one sibling an illegitimate dope-smoking surly lesbian who wanted a baby, another an over-eating single mother, another the model daughter who recently lost her son, and another a philandering, self-loathing, rich cosmetic surgeon married to a beauty queen?At least Chang Tseng's character provided some relief by being pleasantly funny in a sea of mean-spiritedness. Perhaps because his character wasn't part of the family, he did not contract their self-centered angst.Apparently the writers thought selfishness was a virtue. A Buddhist monk experienced a spiritual "epiphany" from his conversations with the rebellious lesbian couple. And what was his enlightenment? He learned that it is better to live for oneself instead of to please other people. Yes, folks, narcissism lies within the veil of Nirvana."Okuribito" showed how a film can do a lot with a little. "Dim Sum Funeral" showed that a film can do little with far too much.