gemreviews2 Yes, Michelle Ang is still a working actress.I wanted to watch this movie because its a New Zealander movie. And im an American that loves foreign films. Im always curious to see how the other side of the world works.And yes, right before watching the film, i did read the synopsis. And here it is: Its the story about a young Chinese college student (a nerdy Asian girl) that falls in love with a white college student (a very tall, lanky young man that plays videogames) She goes out with the young man. They have dinner and sex and talk about what they want to be when they graduate. But her Chinese family is still stuck in the dark ages (theyre racist) and Michelle Ang's character keeps the relationship secret....yeah, i rolled my eyes, too.I personally didn't think that having a relationship and keeping it secret was the big deal of the movie. It was the fact that she proposes marriage to her white boyfriend so she can scam the government for a student grant. Yes, that happen. Michelle's character wants to make a Kung Fu movie for some film school thesis. And she needs money. In New Zealand,the government offers cash money to newly married college students so that they can have a little bit of extra help.Ang's character seems to be very self- centered and doesn't consider committing fraud a big deal. Her excuse to her boyfriend is that they are in love and its not defrauding. Its just a way to get money. My problem with this film is that the writer/director couldn't figure out what plot to use. And tackles all 3 possible plots. Her boyfriend, her racist parents, committing fraud. The director talks about everything, but doesn't finish anything.I felt it was a relief when Ang's character agrees with her boyfriends wishes to meet her parents. Here, is where we see the boyfriend learning mandarin Chinese. He gets intense about it, too. Its a very well shot film with great actors, but lousy characters. And a tired- out "Chinese-culture-shock" movie that doesn't make sense.The Joy luck club was a better film and i suggest you watch that movie instead. Another good "Chinese-culture" shock movie to watch is "The Wedding banquet." "The Wedding Banquet." is almost identical to "My wedding and other secrets." But its better.I enjoyed This movie. But i can make some safe assumptions about the audience that is going to watch this. And i know they wont like it. Its a movie that wants you to take the side of the main character. But its hard to like her.And its somewhat embarrassing to portray a Chinese family as ignorant racists. I cant agree with that to be a fact. And if it is, then its pretty sad.

zif ofoz i had no idea what to expect from this movie. the title threw me off and i was thinking 'another chick flick' - that is not the case!what i found was a charming story involving two young adults stumbling into the real world of attraction, love, commitment, and dealing with cultural differences. the director roseanne liang did a marvelous job of pulling these issues together without having one issue overwhelm the others. beautifully acted by the two lead characters and especially michelle ang! her lessons are expressed from the heart - and she learns that the world outside of oneself can appear to be very cold when it is not. it's all in how you perceive it. her boyfriend learns this a bit slower.my only problem with this movie is the father character. one daughter's love is destroyed by his prejudice but the youngest daughter's love is accepted with little justification. watch the movie and you will understand. the father has no guilt in what he did to the eldest daughter and that point is not addressed in the story. yet, he seems more relaxed with the path the youngest has taken. if he chose to be more 'giving' with his youngest daughter because of the unhappiness suffered by the eldest daughter, then the director failed to clarify that fact.outside of that conflict i have with this movie, i find it a truly delightful and entertaining film. the ending is a bit 'soft' but i'm willing to overlook that due to the fine and expressive acting by the lead characters.

Scott Eriksson While the movie is billed as a "romance," the fact that it is based on a true story actually gives the film more of a dramatic edge than perhaps the title and the billing of the film fail to alert audiences too, and sadly, may deter those who love a great drama from going to see. So for those who wanna see a romantic film, you'll love this…and for those who love dramas, here is why you should see this film! My Wedding and Other Secrets is based on a documentary by Rosanne Liang called Banana In a Nutshell about her real life experiences; that in and of itself is part of the reasons why the film is so successful. Gone are all the nice ribbons and bows and cute little one-liners you would expect in a "romance" and instead you experience real characters with depth and with real conversation and interactions that are tangible. While in the end the film ends on a happy note as you'd expect from a romance, the journey to that point is littered with the complexities of human emotion, cultural differences, and the loving bond of family. Michelle Ang, who plays Emily Chu, does a wonderful job of creating a character torn between her love of a non-Chinese boyfriend and her family's "Chinese" expectations for their daughter. Emily is then pulled in so many directions in the film while she tries to decide what her life should be, and the best choices to make, and it is her performance that brings this drama to life. Matt Whelan, Pei-Pei Cheng, Kenneth Tsang and Mike Ginn all provide an exceptional supporting cast. Real life "Emily," Rosanne Liang, directed the film and her guidance has created a film with the perfect balance between romance and drama, making a very original "romance" film that is a great drama not to be missed.

mablecheng1981 Simply awful. I do not think such Chinese family exists. The parents are simply dictators and the daughters almost have no self-respects (in terms of chasing their own happiness). The portrait of the Chinese family is so distorted. The Chinese aren't like this at all. This is just some weird, suppressed, odd and pathetic family that only exists in a screen play. The costumes are quite awful. How many people dress like Emily nowadays? Unbelievable. And the actress looks like she's 40 years old. Why can't she wear just a bit of make-up to look real everyday people?!Watch at your own risk.