Double Happiness

Joseph Hsu's film follows Tim, head chef at a five-star hotel in Taiwan, preparing for his wedding. He is to marry his fiancée from Hong Kong, but his divorced parents refuse to attend the same ceremony and each insists on hosting their own. What complicates matters is that the two ceremonies fall on the same day. The narrative uses that setup for comedy, but its real subject is a divorce still running years later; the couple end up managing other people's quarrel at their own wedding. Liu Kuan-ting and Jennifer Yu lead, with Yang Kuei-mei in the cast. The scenes of preparing food take wide space and the wedding customs are shown in detail. Who it's for: those who like Taiwanese family comedy. Who it's not for: viewers expecting sharp humour; the film settles in a conciliatory place.