THE CHINESE FEAST
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1996 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.5 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
Hong Kong, 1994 Running Length: 1:32 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Mild violence) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Leslie Cheung, Anita Yuen, Chin Man-Cheuk Director: Tsui Hark Screenplay: Tsui Hark, Ng Man-Fai, and Cheng Chung-Tai No U.S. Distributor In Cantonese with subtitles
THE CHINESE FEAST could be described as EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN with an attitude. While this film has a less ambitious agenda than Ang Lee's feature, both motion pictures share a common anchor: food. The obsessive attention given to the preparation of various sumptuous full- course dinners is enough to elicit groans from any viewer foolish enough to venture into the theater with an empty stomach. Director Tsui Hark is as apt as Lee when it comes to making the mouth water.
The plot uses a variation of a standard Hong Kong action formula, although neither Jackie Chan nor Chow Yun Fat would feel comfortable in this film. A personal tragedy causes a master to abandon his craft. Years later, an eager apprentice, desirous of attaining greatness, seeks his guidance. Overcoming an initial reluctance to put aside his self- pity, the master eventually acquiesces, and rediscovers himself through the process of teaching. In this case, however, it's not a kung-fu expert that we're watching, but a world class chef, and the fast, furious battlefield is the kitchen.
The director, who is best known for his action films, stages THE CHINESE FEAST like one, with numerous fast edits and a story that buzzes along rapidly, allowing little time for reflection. There are lots of "battles" -- surprisingly engaging cooking contests where the "combatants" must prove that they can surpass their opponents when it comes to the color, taste, and presentation of a dish. The final confrontation pits the master against a sinister adversary, with both testing their culinary skills to devise new ways of preparing dishes featuring such delicacies as bears' paws, elephants' trunks, and monkeys' brains.
Of course, filming a cooking movie using the kung-fu model is bound to create a number of unconventionally amusing situations, and that's why THE CHINESE FEAST has been fashioned as a comedy. Often, the humor is absurd (such as one man's battle with a 200-pound fish that escapes from the kitchen), but it's almost always funny. There's also a love story between the apprentice and the daughter of the man he works for, but it's a minor subplot that rarely captures the director's full attention. That doesn't prevent Leslie Cheung (FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE) and the enchanting Anita Yuen from forming an appealing couple whose natural chemistry adds to movie's charm.
As a sidelight, THE CHINESE FEAST provides a glimpse into a potentially-endangered culture. Next year (on June 30, 1997, to be precise), Hong Kong will be re-absorbed into China, and there's no telling how deeply the subsequent changes will affect the country as a whole, or the film industry in particular. Movies like THE CHINESE FEAST may be among the last of their kind. What fraction of the 200+ movies per year produced in Hong Kong will survive?
Regardless of what the future holds for Tsui Hark and others like him, their body of work will endure. THE CHINESE FEAST is the director's twenty-fifth feature, with a broader appeal than anything he has previously attempted. The movie is atypical, enjoyable, and, unfortunately for American viewers, difficult to locate. Given a chance, it's worth a look, but, as with EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN, you're warned to eat beforehand lest the closing credits find you dashing for the nearest Chinese restaurant.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: jberardinell@delphi.com, berardin@bc.cybernex.net web: http://www2.cybernex.net/~berardin
The review above was posted to the
rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup (de.rec.film.kritiken for German reviews).
The Internet Movie Database accepts no responsibility for the contents of the
review and has no editorial control. Unless stated otherwise, the copyright
belongs to the author.
Please direct comments/criticisms of the review to relevant newsgroups.
Broken URLs inthe reviews are the responsibility of the author.
The formatting of the review is likely to differ from the original due
to ASCII to HTML conversion.
Related links: index of all rec.arts.movies.reviews reviews