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Food-Themed & Kind-of-Food-themed (movies, documentaries, TV excluding competitions)

by Elaine_Hope • Created 3 years ago • Modified 1 year ago
Food is memory. I want to taste home in my food.

From all around the world. Knowing the cultural and/or culinary background will help you appreciate the films' intentions. This list is made for a friend today, but I decided to make it public. :D

Frankly, it is very rare to see a movie that balances the epicurean story and the human side of the story.

Please follow and bookmark the list, and check back every now and then. Don't forget to share this list with someone who might enjoy it.

The list is in chronological order. To see the latest additions, please sort the list by "Date added."

Enjoy!
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  • 45 titles
  • Tampopo (1985)

    1. Tampopo

    19851h 54mNot Rated87Metascore
    7.9 (25K)
    A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The story is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.
    DirectorJûzô ItamiStarsKen WatanabeTsutomu YamazakiNobuko Miyamoto
  • Stéphane Audran in Babette's Feast (1987)

    2. Babette's Feast

    19871h 43mG78Metascore
    7.8 (23K)
    During the late 19th century, a strict religious community in a Danish village takes in a French refugee from the Franco-Prussian War as a servant to the late pastor's daughters.
    DirectorGabriel AxelStarsStéphane AudranBodil KjerBirgitte Federspiel
  • Wang Yu-wen, Chien-Lien Wu, and Kuei-Mei Yang in Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

    3. Eat Drink Man Woman

    19942h 4mNot Rated80Metascore
    7.8 (24K)
    A senior chef lives with his three grown daughters; the middle one finds her future plans affected by unexpected events and the life changes of the other household members.
    DirectorAng LeeStarsSihung LungKuei-Mei YangWang Yu-wen
    The first food-themed movie that I fell in love with. The film features fantastic food, but it is not about the food. This film is about family, life, and changes that all generations go through.

    Language: Chinese
    Loaded with cultural elements
  • The Chinese Feast (1995)

    4. The Chinese Feast

    19951h 40mNot Rated
    6.7 (1.6K)
    Within a few years, Chiu, a small-time crook, has become a gang leader. But his professional ambitions are actually quite different: he wants to leave illegality behind and make a career for himself and his lover in Canada - as a chef. However, this craft must first be learned and Chiu's talent in the field of cooking leaves much to be desired.
    DirectorHark TsuiStarsKenny BeeLeslie CheungAnita Yuen
  • 301, 302 (1995)

    5. 301, 302

    19951h 40mUnrated
    6.4 (1.2K)
    Two women, a chef and an anorexic writer, are neighbors in an apartment building. The chef.
    DirectorCheol-su ParkStarsPang Eun-jinHwang Sin-hyeChu-Ryun Kim
  • The God of Cookery (1996)

    6. The God of Cookery

    19961h 35m
    7.2 (10K)
    The most renowned and feared chef in the world loses his title of God of Cookery because of his pompous attitude. Humbled, he sets out to reclaim his title.
    DirectorsStephen ChowLik-Chi LeeStarsStephen ChowKaren MokVincent Kok
  • Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini, Tony Shalhoub, and Stanley Tucci in Big Night (1996)

    7. Big Night

    19961h 49mR80Metascore
    7.3 (24K)
    New Jersey, 1950s. Two brothers run an Italian restaurant. Business is not going well as a rival Italian restaurant is out-competing them. In a final effort to save the restaurant, the brothers plan to put on an evening of incredible food.
    DirectorsCampbell ScottStanley TucciStarsTony ShalhoubStanley TucciMarc Anthony
    So authentic, so personal. The way they make their everything-homemade Italian dish, and the drama that comes with how Timpano is cooked, the excitement to be able to share it with the community - it is so realistic. I could taste the labour of love as I watch the film.
  • A Great Chinese Restaurant (1999)

    8. A Great Chinese Restaurant

    19991h 35m
    6.1 (58)
    Han-kook starts to work as an apprentice chef at a Chinese restauraunt belonging to his father's friend, but rather than follow the painstaking process of preparing the food by hand, Han-kook begins to use pre-processed ingredients.
    DirectorKim Ui-seokStarsKim Seok-hoonMyeong Se-binShin Goo
    Korean
  • Johnny Depp and Juliette Binoche in Chocolat (2000)

    9. Chocolat

    20002h 1mPG-1364Metascore
    7.2 (207K)
    Single mother Vianne Rocher and her young daughter arrive in a rural French town in the winter of 1959, and open an unusual chocolate shop that disrupts the moral fiber of the strictly Catholic townsfolk and mayor.
    DirectorLasse HallströmStarsJuliette BinocheJohnny DeppJudi Dench
    The first "sensual" food-themed movie that I came to love. It is a witty, feel-good movie. Most of all, I love their bean-to-product process without any modern aparatus. In this movie, chocolate is not a food; it is a character.
  • Penélope Cruz in Woman on Top (2000)

    10. Woman on Top

    20001h 32mR41Metascore
    5.3 (11K)
    After being cheated on by an insecure man, Brazilian chef Isabella Oliveira moves to San Francisco and finds success as the host of a cooking show.
    DirectorFina TorresStarsPenélope CruzMurilo BenícioHarold Perrineau
  • Panagiotis Golfis in A Touch of Spice (2003)

    11. A Touch of Spice

    20031h 48m48Metascore
    7.4 (15K)
    A Greek boy grows up to become a talented cook after political turmoil forces his family to leave Turkey.
    DirectorTassos BoulmetisStarsGeorges CorrafaceIeroklis MichaelidisRenia Louizidou
  • Téa Leoni and Adam Sandler in Spanglish (2004)

    12. Spanglish

    20042h 11mPG-1348Metascore
    6.4 (91K)
    A woman and her daughter leave Mexico for a better life in America, where they start working for a family whose patriarch is a newly-celebrated chef with an insecure wife.
    DirectorJames L. BrooksStarsAdam SandlerTéa LeoniPaz Vega
    This is not really a food-themed movie. But I thought I'd add it because I want to see more Spanish/Latin food!
  • Thomas Haden Church and Paul Giamatti in Sideways (2004)

    13. Sideways

    20042h 7mR94Metascore
    7.5 (211K)
    Two men reaching middle age with not much to show but disappointment embark on a week-long road trip through California's wine country, just as one is about to take a trip down the aisle.
    DirectorAlexander PayneStarsPaul GiamattiThomas Haden ChurchVirginia Madsen
    I enjoyed the book very much, and the movie, even more. I took the trip following this book, too; I recommend that you do it too.
  • Anthony Bourdain in Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations (2005)

    14. Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations

    2005–2012144 epsTV-PGTV Series
    8.5 (8.4K)
    Anthony Bourdain, chef, writer, traveler, visits places all around the world sampling various foods.
    StarsAnthony BourdainTom VitaleZamir Gotta
    Bourdain's 1 of 2 heyday-series that I recommend. Alton Brown has helped me understand how to cook and the chemistry behind it; Anthony Bourdain helped me understand that food can be political.
  • Diners, Drive-ins and Dives (2006)

    15. Diners, Drive-ins and Dives

    2006– 673 epsTV-GTV Series
    7.3 (4.9K)
    Food Network's Guy Fieri rolls out to visit America's favorite diners, drive-ins and dives, interviewing the owners of the food establishments and samples the items on their menus.
    StarsGuy FieriHunter FieriRyder Fieri
    This used to be my go-to series when I was planning a trip.
  • Udon (2006)

    16. Udon

    20062h 14m
    6.5 (490)
    A dramedy about the relationship between an aspiring comic and his stubborn noodlemaker father.
    DirectorKatsuyuki MotohiroStarsYûsuke SantamariaManami KonishiTortoise Matsumoto
    Japanese
  • Hairi Katagiri, Satomi Kobayashi, and Masako Motai in Kamome Diner (2006)

    17. Kamome Diner

    20061h 42m
    7.2 (2.9K)
    Sachie opens a rice ball diner in Helsinki, attracting customers and a group of neighborhood women. The story explores the origins of rice balls in Finland.
    DirectorNaoko OgigamiStarsSatomi KobayashiHairi KatagiriMasako Motai
    Japanese
  • Le Grand Chef (2007)

    18. Le Grand Chef

    20071h 53m
    6.5 (721)
    A young, incredibly talented chef quits the profession after a contest to head a world-class restaurant ends in tragedy. Retiring to a small rural town with his grandfather, he finds a new and more peaceful existence, working as a farmer and selling vegetables at the local market. Even though content in his new life, when a nationwide cooking competition offers him the chance to take on his long-time rival, Seong-Chan embarks on a journey that will forever change his view of the world and lead him to the most startling revelations. Surrounding himself with a ragtag crew of misfits, each with his own poignant story to tell, he is soon in the media spotlight, facing stiff competition from the other contestants while dealing with his grandfather's diminishing faculties and a long buried family secret. Seong-Chan can only struggle to overcome every adversity with a quiet dignity.
    DirectorYun-su ChongStarsKim Kang-wooIm Won-heeLee Hana
    A cheesy movie at first. But if you understand the cultural and culinary undertone, this is a decent, entertaining movie. I think they tried to make it so that anyone with no cultural understanding can watch it.

    Language: Korean
  • Aaron Eckhart and Catherine Zeta-Jones in No Reservations (2007)

    19. No Reservations

    20071h 44mPG50Metascore
    6.3 (81K)
    The life of a top chef changes when she becomes the guardian of her young niece.
    DirectorScott HicksStarsCatherine Zeta-JonesAaron EckhartAbigail Breslin
    A typical date-night rom-com. Not really a food-themed film.
  • Bottle Shock (2008)

    20. Bottle Shock

    20081h 50mPG-1356Metascore
    6.8 (19K)
    The story of the early days of California wine making featuring the now infamous, blind Paris wine tasting of 1976 that has come to be known as "Judgment of Paris".
    DirectorRandall MillerStarsChris PineAlan RickmanBill Pullman
  • Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in Julie & Julia (2009)

    21. Julie & Julia

    20092h 3mPG-1366Metascore
    7.0 (133K)
    Julie Powell, a young blogger, is determined to emulate Julia Child's cooking techniques. Though separated by time, the two women share a common passion for food that intertwines their lives.
    DirectorNora EphronStarsAmy AdamsMeryl StreepChris Messina
    USA
  • The Chef of South Polar (2009)

    22. The Chef of South Polar

    20092h 5m
    7.0 (1.6K)
    Nishimura has a passion for cooking, but never would he have imagined the task before him now: He is unexpectedly assigned to a south polar mission to serve as head chef at the Dome Fuji station. Leaving wife and daughter behind for a year, he and the other crew members experience one existential crisis after another in the icy cold. And then they run out of Ramen!
    DirectorShûichi OkitaStarsKôsuke ToyoharaMasato SakaiKengo Kôra
    Japan
  • Madhur Jaffrey, Aasif Mandvi, Harish Patel, Naseeruddin Shah, and Jess Weixler in Today's Special (2009)

    23. Today's Special

    20091h 39mR57Metascore
    6.6 (6.8K)
    In this super-feel-good foodie comedy, young Manhattan chef Samir rediscovers his heritage and his passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food.
    DirectorDavid KaplanStarsAarti MannKevin CorriganDean Winters
    Could be a better show, but it's a feel-good foodie show that I could watch.
  • Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle (2010)

    24. Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle

    20101h 59mNot Rated
    6.1 (377)
    (Korean with English subtitles) Korean's President organizes a nationwide "Kimchi Contest." Brother and sister: Jang-eun and Sung-Chan join the competition, both using their mother's recipe. Whoever wins, will decide the fate of their family's restaurant.
    DirectorDong-hoon BaekStarsJin-Ki BaekLee Byung-joonJin Goo
    I add this title to the list because this is a sequel. Personally, I did not enjoy it.

    You've got to know the subtleties of Korean cuisines to understand what's going on.

    Language: Korean
  • Taipei Exchanges (2010)

    25. Taipei Exchanges

    20101h 22m
    6.6 (714)
    What are you willing to give up in exchange for fulfilling your dreams?
    DirectorYa-chuan HsiaoStarsLun-Mei GweiHan ChangZaizai Lin
    Not a foodie movie - but about life.

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