Salé, sucré

There is usually nothing that gets me away from my newspapers on a Sunday Morning. I usually spend several hours on my back porch immersed in news and entertainment. I flipped on the TV to see what was happening in the third round of the Masters and I noticed a movie on the Indie channel that I hadn't seen and it looked interesting. Big mistake! It Was And Lee's Yin shi nan nu (Eat Drink Man Woman). The paper got put aside as I couldn't tear my eyes away from the story. It was captivating, to say the least. How a widowed father deals with three daughters was the classic relationship film.In addition, the subplot, how everyone was doing something that they thought was "what was expected," instead of what they really wanted to do was a simple definition of life out of balance. Only when life is in balance can you taste the spice. You'll have to invest some time in watching this great film to understand that fully, and it will be time well spent.

A veritable smorgasbord of all the things that make life worthwhile, including good friendship, love, food and sex, can be found in Ang Lee's `Eat, Drink, Man, Woman,' the story of a widower who has raised three daughters on his own, and now that they are grown is ready to move on with his life. Chu (Sihung Lung), a celebrated chef who runs the kitchen of a huge restaurant, finds himself at an impasse however; his daughters, Jia-Jen (Kuei-Mei Yang), the eldest, a teacher, Jia-Chen (Chien-lien Wu), his second, an airline executive, and Jia-Ning (Yu-Wen Wang), the youngest, who works at a fast food restaurant, all still live with their father, and though they are adults (all in their twenties), he feels responsible for them, as they are still under his roof. They, on the other hand, feel responsible for him; he'll soon be retired, and they fear age is catching up with him. And it makes them each, in turn, think twice about career opportunities and any romantic entanglements that may appear on the horizon. it's a situation they all realize is not conducive to a happy, fulfilling and fully functional family life; the love is there, but it's seasoned with frustration, and no one seems to know what to do about it.

Lee has crafted and delivered a complex, involving film, laced with poignancy and humor that deals with the kinds of problems most people face during the course of their lives. And, of course, there's the love, the many faces of which are all explored here. Food is the metaphor; Chu sets his table with a variety of tantalizing and exotic offerings, even as the table of life is set with like fare, and once set, it is up to the individual to sample what they will. Fittingly, it is at the dinner table that many of the meaningful events in the lives of the family members are revealed. Working from a screenplay written by Lee, James Schamus and Hui-Ling Wang, Lee uses the intricate emotional weave of the story to optimum effect with his ability to illuminate the sensibilities of his characters, and that he does it so well demonstrates the depth of his own insight into human nature. And that he can so proficiently transfer the emotions of the written page to the screen demonstrates his mastery of the art of film directing. As he proves with this film (as with films like `The Ice Storm' and `Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'), he is simply one of the best directors in the business.

Lee's unique touch is also felt in the performances he exacts from his actors, a number of which are outstanding in this film, beginning with Lung, who brings Chu so credibly to life. Wang, Wu and Yang are also exemplary in their portrayals of Chu's daughters. To their credit-- as well as Lee's-- there's not a false moment to be found in their performances, all of which stand up to even the closest scrutiny. These are all very real people in a very real setting, which enables the audience to identify and relate to the characters and their story, assuring that connection which makes this film such a satisfying experience.

The supporting cast includes Sylvia Chang (Jin-Rong), Winston Chao (Li Kai), Chao-jung Chen (Guo Lun), Lester Chit-Man Chan (Raymond), Yu Chen (Rachel), Jui Wang (Old Wen) and Ah Lei Gua (Madame Ling). As with real life, `Eat, Drink, Man, Woman' is far from predictable, and is filled with twists and turns, including a surprise at the end that equals anything M. Night Shyamalan could come up with. In the final analysis, this film is a delightful, entertaining reflection upon the human condition that will awaken your taste buds and prepare you for the feast of life. And, like life, it is there for the taking; grab it with both hands and embrace it. By the end, you'll be glad you did. I rate this one 10/10.

Being a female Asian American (1st generation), I definitely relate to the movie, especially the three daughters' devotion to their father and of maintaining and continuing family tradition. I loved the differences amongst the daughters: The older religious teacher daughter, the power executive daughter, and the teen aged daughter. However, no matter how their lives diverged, they were always brought back to the table by their ever-patient father. The little neighbor girl was absolutely adorable and the relationship between her and the father is endearing. The best scene is when she brings her lunch to school and the food is so lovely, tall of the children crowd around her and she's the hit of lunch period. Besides this movie, other Ang Lee films that are great are The Wedding Banquet and The Ice Storm and Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon - need to see Sense and Sensibility and Brokeback Mountain (maybe even the Hulk), but this movie is my all time favorite - it makes me sad and wistful at times, but in the end, it always brings a smile to my face and touches my heart.

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman is one of the best films of all time. It has all the elements of a great movie. From the opening shot to the final I was absolutely riveted to this compelling, truthful, beautiful, and humorous look into the lives of a Taiwanese family. Ang Lee, known quite famously now for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" and the upcoming "Hulk" has done a masterful job of directing and storytelling. The cinematography is INCREDIBLE. The movie as mentioned focuses on on Widower, Master Chef Chu, who is having a hard time relating to his three independent daughters. He attempts to communicate his love for them by creating these incredible gourmet dinners. The daughters are very defined, each with a different personality. The eldest, is a Christian, which is the first time in a movie I have ever seen, where a Christian is portrayed in a favorable light. She is struggling with being an old maid and the fear of leaving her Father uncared for if she does get married. The second daughter is wild and rebellious. She is portrayed extremely well by the ultra sexy Chien Lien Wu. This woman is absolutely stunning!!! She is torn between three things, her career, her desire to be independent, and her liason's with two men, one who is married. The third daughter is portrayed sweetly and innocent who ends up stealing her best friends boyfriend away. There are many plot twists and turns, but in the end, the movie finishes in a beautiful and happy way. I have now watched this movie twenty times and I think it is a great contribution to the film world. I wish more people knew about it here in the States. This movie can move you to being a better person. On a side note, I highly recommend you order some Chinese food, because you will be starving for it before the movie is over.

Ang Lee has turned what might have been merely an extended Taiwanese soap opera into a wise and warm exploration of family relationships, love and friendship, against the backdrop of a traditional society adapting to the modern world. Fascinating in themselves, the food preparation sequences serve as a metaphor for the skill required to transform bare existence into a rich life (and perhaps also as a metaphor for film making, where similar care and deftness are required).

The film focuses on the strained relations between master chef Chu (Sihung Lung) and his three unmarried daughters, and on the relationships of all four in love and at work. These relationships run the gamut from first love to love the second time around; from those based almost solely on sex to those based on none. (Some of the most touching scenes are those between Chu and his older colleague Wen (Jui Wang.))

Via the various workplaces Lee subtly shows us the changing face of Taiwanese society. Despite her father's profession, and seemingly with his approval, his youngest daughter works in a fast-food outlet; the eldest has converted to Christianity, and teaches science to boys, who treat her with a mixture of traditional deference and western-style insolence; the middle daughter is a successful airline executive, but only because time-honoured attitudes debarred her, as a woman, from following in her father's footsteps as a cook.

Unlike the classic Hollywood film, there is little out-and-out conflict in this movie, which seems to be based more on the Chinese philosophical concept of Yin and Yang, mutually dependent opposites. But whatever its underlying cinematic rationale, it is a masterpiece.