Eat a Bowl of Tea

Ignore the picture that was used as the poster of this film, it is completely incongruous to the story. This is a film set in New York's Chinatown about a couple, one an Americanized Chinese young man (Ben Loy) who agrees to marry a young lady (Mei Oi) from a small village in China. She comes to New York and the story is the struggle of their compatibility. The movie is set in the late 1940's/early 1950's and it has a good rhythm to it. Most of it is in English, but that doesn't matter. At times you feel like a voyeur, looking in on this couple and wondering what will happen next to them. They do have their problems, and she even takes on a lover (Eric Tsang, who has a smallish but pivotal part), but the story is about the clash between Chinese traditions and their present day. While the film is good, it partly suffers from melodramatic overload. If you're interested in seeing a film about the immigrant experience, this is a good one about the Chinese one. I saw it on TCM in the wee hours of the morning. I watched it through, so that in and of itself is an endorsement.

Older cultures coming to a new land. Chinese americans coming to america. At first, due to the immigration laws, it could only be the male workers. Then, when wives were allowed to come to the U. S., they brought their customs and points of view. Pride, respect, outlook on family. When Ben Loy (Russell Wong) gets married, but hasn't come up with offspring, his wife Mai Oi ( Cora Miao) thinks she has a solution... at least to some of her problems. Will this help, or will it only cause more problems? This is all about family pride, revenge, resolving issues within the community, and not involving outsiders. It's quite good. Directed by Wayne Wang, who also happens to be married to Maio, the female lead. Wang would also do the Joy Luck Club a couple years after this.

in the times that every time you see new york now; woody Allen, Pollokaville, there are always scenes of the trade towers that are no longer with us, but although this film is situated in New Yoik, there are no scenes of the outside world. Why is this. and why do the Chinese suffer such great difficulties in New York. A film by wayne wang based on a book which was thought to be forgotten until the chinese literature came into a period of renaissance in the 1970s, Wayne wang named after the actor John Wayne, ironically this wasn't even his real name, it was something like marilyn, so either or, Wayne Wang was always going to be called after an American icon, much to his parents desire. The film juxtaposes culture; chinese onto the new setting; New York. it does this with a relationship at the centre and the chinese culture surrounding this relationship. For the chinese in this film; mostly men, as they have moved to New york to send back money to china, a woman is seen as a much needed asset, an asset that enables the continuing of their culture and their family in their new found land. the woman, has this pressure put upon her and so does the man, ben loi, the man impotent, and the woman cuckolds him to make the rest of the family happy, This film is a great insight into the Chinese and the idea of an alien in a foreign country, both with ben loi going back to china to marry and his wife to be coming over to America, Was it sting wha sang WOOOaaah I'm an alien, I'm a little alien, i'm an englishman in New York.

I recommend also Do the Right thing by Spike Lee

This is not a great movie, but is still quite good. The story involves Chinese men who suddenly have the chance to marry. Up until then, US immigration quotas separated families in an effort to limit an influx of the Chinese. They did so by allowing MEN into the country but not women! The movie moves at a nice leisurely pace and I had no serious complaints. It's just that there are better stories about the clash between traditional and modern Chinese culture (such as in Eat, Drink, Man, Woman). Still, considering how few movies about Chinese or Chinese-Americans exist, this pretty makes this movie a must-see for the curious viewer.

A rarity in that we have an American made Chinese film that isn't based on Triad violence.

A breath of fresh air it is.

Young man and woman romance each other in America. Said couple is Chinese. They wish to stick to the traditions but adapt to their new homeland.

A romantic film that you can bring the wife or girlfriend to. And anyone into China or Asia will like it too. The culture gets a good going over here. In a positive way mind you.

And there is a lot of truth to it all too. Yes, elder Chinese men came to the U.S. alone and sometimes never saw their wives for 20-30 years. These marriages lasted. Impressive.

Romance with steamed dumplings here. Nicely done Wayne.