I came across Yin Shi Nan Nu just by chance, when one day I was sorting DVD's in my local store. I was curious about the name in Spanish, and I have seen other movies by Ang Lee, but I have never repented for my sudden decision to take the movie home. This is a brilliant portrait of a family on the verge of being torn apart by their personal differences and the ominous presence of modernity, which has started to undermine the roots of the traditional Taiwanese family life. The presence of traditional Chinese Cuisine, in which Chu is both a master and the heir to hundreds of years of knowledge, serves as the perfect background to place the characters, as a metaphor for a way of life that is quickly disappearing, threatened by fast food and changes in family values. The director does not, however, focuses on mellow or sweetened scenes to show the conflict, but he maintains a humorous tone throughout the movie, placing the actors' performances on subtle gestures and witty lines which rely heavily on understatement and comedy-like situations. The basic premise of the movie suggests that change is not only inevitable but also necessary. However, the old values still need to be cherished and passed on to the next generation since they are the foundations which give sense and meaning to a life which tends to assimilate happiness to disposable items and economic success. In doing so, Chu and her daughters get reconciled, as well as their traditional background comes to terms with modernity.
93 Reviews
a beautiful and endearing film
planktonrules16 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
This Taiwanese movie is about the best film I have seen about the generational gap between traditional and modern Chinese cultures. The father in the movie is a widower and a superb cook who has unfortunately begun to lose his sense of taste--needing to have his assistants taste his food to get the flavor right. Much of the movie centers on the love life of him as well as his daughters, as well as the older man's friendship with a cute neighbor girl and her mother.
I loved this movie because the material was handled so gently and realistically--making you really care about most of the characters. About the only one you DON'T care for is the obnoxious older lady that has set her sights on Dad! How the many relationships are resolved is masterful and provided me with a good laugh! This is a terrific movie for anyone looking for a slice of life, a movie about world cultures or someone wanting to watch a cute romantic movie. Guys--relax!!! You'll enjoy this one, too!
I loved this movie because the material was handled so gently and realistically--making you really care about most of the characters. About the only one you DON'T care for is the obnoxious older lady that has set her sights on Dad! How the many relationships are resolved is masterful and provided me with a good laugh! This is a terrific movie for anyone looking for a slice of life, a movie about world cultures or someone wanting to watch a cute romantic movie. Guys--relax!!! You'll enjoy this one, too!
Well-Crafted And Observant
bix1718 May 2002
The well-traveled metaphor of food as communication is given a tender, appealing treatment in Ang Lee's finely observed film about a widower whose aging and loneliness have caused him to lose touch with his three grown daughters, each of whom is looking for love in modern-day Taiwan. The father (a gallant Sihung Lung) is a master chef who has begun to lose his sense of taste while attempting to come to grips with his daughters' increasing independence and the failing health of his best friend (Jui Wang); he begins to question the basis of existence, namely love and food. The daughters, meanwhile, feeling cramped by their father's distance, begin to explore notions of freedom from their cramped quarters. Lee is in a positive, sympathetic frame of mind here, articulately exploring the theme of alienation that he would later revisit with a much more gloomy perspective in `The Ice Storm' and though the film holds virtually no surprises, it is a stylistic success, easy to like and moving effortlessly with a superior sense of rhythm; it's always pleasing, even when the content feels overly familiar. He demonstrates a healthy respect for his characters (with the exception of a divorcee whose bitter views of marriage don't stop her from pursuing Lung)--everyone gets to play out their lives with dignity and happiness and without an ounce of filmmaker moralizing.
Ang Lee Sets The Table Of Life
jhclues25 April 2001
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.
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.
Ang Lee's cinematic banquet
Geofbob22 July 2001
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.
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.
One of my All Time Favorites!!!!
Strider-10013 June 2002
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.
have a big bite
lee_eisenberg29 July 2017
By now, Ang Lee is best known for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", "Brokeback Mountain" and "Life of Pi". If you're not familiar with his earlier work, it's worth checking out. Key among it is 1994's Academy Award-nominated "Yǐn shí nán nǚ" ("Eat Drink Man Woman" in English). I understand that this was part of what has become known as Lee's Father Knows Best trilogy. In this case, an aging chef in Taipei tries to come to terms with the different career paths that his daughters have chosen.
Without a doubt, the best part of the movie is seeing the food prepared. The opening scene shows the father preparing a feast for himself and his daughters. And boy does he put in a LOT of effort! But as the movie progresses, it becomes clear that the meals are only half the story. There's also the events in the characters' lives, as they seek out relationships. Might it also be time for the father to seek out a relationship?
This is definitely one that I recommend. As I read somewhere, the assortment of food representations life: there's a lot available, but you have to decide what you'll choose. A fine one. Another one of Lee's good movies is "The Ice Storm" (a downer if there ever was one).
Without a doubt, the best part of the movie is seeing the food prepared. The opening scene shows the father preparing a feast for himself and his daughters. And boy does he put in a LOT of effort! But as the movie progresses, it becomes clear that the meals are only half the story. There's also the events in the characters' lives, as they seek out relationships. Might it also be time for the father to seek out a relationship?
This is definitely one that I recommend. As I read somewhere, the assortment of food representations life: there's a lot available, but you have to decide what you'll choose. A fine one. Another one of Lee's good movies is "The Ice Storm" (a downer if there ever was one).
My Favorite Movie
sochoi235 March 2006
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.
A Nice Blend of Colors and Sounds
gavin694214 August 2015
A senior chef (Sihung Lung) lives with his three grown daughters; the middle one (Jacklyn Wu) finds her future plans affected by unexpected events and the life changes of the other household members.
Hal Hinson wrote, "As the relationships evolve and deepen, there seems to be a surprise around every corner—for both the characters and the audience. But what is most surprising, perhaps, is how involved we become with these people. As satisfying as food can be, the fullness we feel at the end here is far richer and more complex than that offered by the most extravagant meal." I loved the blend or sights and sounds. The colors are vibrant, especially when focused on the food. And the sounds are not what we might expect from an Asian setting; some come across as more Latin American. This strengthens the film, really making it something of an international flavor.
Hal Hinson wrote, "As the relationships evolve and deepen, there seems to be a surprise around every corner—for both the characters and the audience. But what is most surprising, perhaps, is how involved we become with these people. As satisfying as food can be, the fullness we feel at the end here is far richer and more complex than that offered by the most extravagant meal." I loved the blend or sights and sounds. The colors are vibrant, especially when focused on the food. And the sounds are not what we might expect from an Asian setting; some come across as more Latin American. This strengthens the film, really making it something of an international flavor.
Tasting the spice of life
lastliberal9 April 2006
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.
Great Foreign Film
whpratt11 October 2008
Enjoyed viewing this great film from 1994 about a widower who lost his wife 16 years ago and had three daughters to raise and they all matured into very attractive and successful young ladies. Their father, Chu, (Sihung Lung) who is a famous chef loves to cook for his girls on Sunday's and prepares many dishes of Taiwan food. This story begins to dwell on each of the daughter's lives, some of them are interested in young men and want to get married and others want to succeed in the business world and one even wants to become a religious person and another loves her father very much and wishes to live with him and take care of him. There is plenty of romance, sex and very upsetting happenings in the modern day world of Taiwan. Very entertaining film with comedy, drama and romance. Enjoy.
Life is full of surprises
leliorisen28 March 2002
This movie is a visually sumptuous confection served up by Ang Lee as a follow-up to The Wedding Banquet.
While some people may be put off that the film is in Mandarin with subtitles (and the DVD does not have a dubbing option), the film is so strong visually that you forget about the subtitles and just admire the thoroughly delightful story.
I found the film's theme very interesting...that life constantly surprises, especially if one opens themselves up to life's possibilities.
Nothing in this film plays out like you expect it to. It is the single common thread between the multiple story lines. If this film has a flaw it is that too many of the changes happen too suddenly, without an examination of the processes that led to the sudden developments.
The food scenes in this film are to die for. In this case, as opposed to being a primarily carnal sensual experience as it is in films like "Chocolat" and "Like Water For Chocolate," food also takes on a rhythmic intensity and meter here. There is amazing energy and balance displayed in the preparation and presentation of the meal. Sort of like Feng Shui for the tummy.
Bon Appetit.
While some people may be put off that the film is in Mandarin with subtitles (and the DVD does not have a dubbing option), the film is so strong visually that you forget about the subtitles and just admire the thoroughly delightful story.
I found the film's theme very interesting...that life constantly surprises, especially if one opens themselves up to life's possibilities.
Nothing in this film plays out like you expect it to. It is the single common thread between the multiple story lines. If this film has a flaw it is that too many of the changes happen too suddenly, without an examination of the processes that led to the sudden developments.
The food scenes in this film are to die for. In this case, as opposed to being a primarily carnal sensual experience as it is in films like "Chocolat" and "Like Water For Chocolate," food also takes on a rhythmic intensity and meter here. There is amazing energy and balance displayed in the preparation and presentation of the meal. Sort of like Feng Shui for the tummy.
Bon Appetit.
Pleasingly Sensuous, But Not Sensual
madcardinal4 September 2011
Film-maker Ang Lee scores a win with this film about a widower master chef and his three attractive 20-something daughters. "Eat Drink Man Woman" is a sensitive portrayal of emotional dynamics as the daughters wrestle with leaving the nest, whether physically or psychologically. In this somewhat stiff, formal family, people communicate - or fail to communicate - through food; and the viewer is treated to many sensuous culinary scenes. Yet as the movie progresses, we witness the characters' growing drive to verbalize what they mean and feel. The beauty of the daughters is depicted in a very restrained manner, so if you're looking for Chinese eroticism, best to look elsewhere. Give this fine movie a chance. "Eat Drink Man Woman" will have added appeal for most female viewers.
A Chinese 'Chick Flick'
ccthemovieman-16 January 2007
This Chinese film was fascinating for the first 10-20 minutes, thanks to excellent photography with bright colors and a very interesting look at a master chef preparing some exotic food. The closeups and sound also made it fun to watch.
However, most of the story revolves around the chef's three daughters and their love lives.....and it was simply too boring for me. It turned out to be nothing but a soap opera.
The young women all were pretty and all had totally different lifestyles but after 60 minutes of their stories, they began to wear thin. The film is slightly over two hours, so I struggled to finish this. I liked the three woman but this is a movie for the females, not me.
However, most of the story revolves around the chef's three daughters and their love lives.....and it was simply too boring for me. It turned out to be nothing but a soap opera.
The young women all were pretty and all had totally different lifestyles but after 60 minutes of their stories, they began to wear thin. The film is slightly over two hours, so I struggled to finish this. I liked the three woman but this is a movie for the females, not me.
An Austen movie
aturner61 March 2004
Warning: Spoilers
When I finally got around to seeing this on TV a few nights ago, I had completely forgotten that Ang Lee had been the somewhat unusual (it was thought at the time) choice to direct a well-reviewed remake of Jane Austen's "Sense & Sensibility." But as I watched, it struck me quite forcefully that EDMW was an updated version of an Austen movie, and a very clever one. The marriageable daughters are there, the beleaguered father, the talkative woman--in this case the neighbor with designs on Mr. Chu, and I felt that her somewhat over-the top performance was the most Austenesque of the lot. The treatment throughout is delicate, sophisticated and affectionate, and some of the twists--the religious daughter who has lied about her "past" to make herself seem less pathetic--truly original. Lovely performances, pretty young actresses and a good script. I wish I'd seen it earlier, but I'm grateful to a no-commercial station for putting it on now.
I have nothing but love for this film!
swmyers12 November 2019
This is one of my all-time favorite films! It takes you on such a subtle journey, that you don't even realize how deeply you've been drawn in until the absolutely outstandingly beautiful ending. It is a very quiet film. But, after visiting with this family, I find that by the end, I just don't want to leave. I think the greatest lesson of this movie is that life never turns out the way you expect it. And that's not a terrible thing.
Ang Lee's lavish cuisine drama is at the top of his game
lasttimeisaw2 March 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Ang Lee's third feature film and the final chapter of his "family trilogy" in Taiwan before launching an outstanding career in Hollywood, after his debut PUSHING HAND (1992) and THE WEDDING BANQUET (1993, 9/10), EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN is consummately charming, and profoundly endearing, plus it is an unabashed food porn of Chinese cuisine.
Ang Lee's regular screen patriarch Lung stars as Mr. Chu, is a 60-ish widower, an excellent chef with three grown-but-unwed daughters, the eldest one is Jia-Jen (Yang), a vocational school's chemistry teacher in her 30s with a dour looking, devoted to her Christian religion and fabricates a heartbroken story as an excuse to conceal the deepest embarrassment of her repressed yearning for a man inside her life, until she meets the new gym teacher Ming- Dao (Lu). Jia-Ning (Wang) is the youngest one, merely 20-years-old and works in a fast- food chain, unpremeditatedly steals her best friends' boyfriend Guo-Lun (Chen), Wang and Chen reunite here after their leading roles in Ming-liang Tsai's REBELS OF THE NEON GOD (1992, 6/10).
Jia-Chien (Wu), the middle daughter, is Chu's favourite, a modern and independent woman secures an important position in an international airline company and receives a covetous promotion in Amsterdam, she engages a no-strings-attached relationship with her ex- boyfriend Raymond (Chan) and finds out Jia-Jen's secret through her dubious liaison with her new college Kai (Chao). Conspicuously, the linchpin of the film lies between Jia-Chien and Chu, their daughter-father connection is being dissected poignantly through Ang Lee's tender lens.
There is also, Jin-Rong (Sylvia Chang), their neighbour and Jia-Jen's best friend from school, a divorcée bringing up a young daughter, and her recently-back-from-America mother Madame Liang (a Changsha-dialect-speaking Kuei), who never shies away from her (not-so-sublte) intention to remarry Mr. Chu, and she is the true comic relief and a great scene-stealer. All the main characters share one common trait: single-hood, no wonder the upshot is three marriages (or four if one considers one subplot) and two new babies. Ang Lee and his co-screenwriters shrewdly leave little hints intermittently from the beginning until the big revelation near the end during the whole family banquet, the script strikes a chord with the universal relevance of affections between blood relations. Embroidered with heartfelt leading performances from Lung and Wu, greatly impressive supporting turns from Yang and Kuei, as long as the appetising dishes enticing both our senses of taste and vision, Ang Lee cooks up another exquisite main course with his impeccable intuition and even-handed execution, 1994 is eminently a stunning year for cineastes, both in the Orient and the Occident.
Ang Lee's regular screen patriarch Lung stars as Mr. Chu, is a 60-ish widower, an excellent chef with three grown-but-unwed daughters, the eldest one is Jia-Jen (Yang), a vocational school's chemistry teacher in her 30s with a dour looking, devoted to her Christian religion and fabricates a heartbroken story as an excuse to conceal the deepest embarrassment of her repressed yearning for a man inside her life, until she meets the new gym teacher Ming- Dao (Lu). Jia-Ning (Wang) is the youngest one, merely 20-years-old and works in a fast- food chain, unpremeditatedly steals her best friends' boyfriend Guo-Lun (Chen), Wang and Chen reunite here after their leading roles in Ming-liang Tsai's REBELS OF THE NEON GOD (1992, 6/10).
Jia-Chien (Wu), the middle daughter, is Chu's favourite, a modern and independent woman secures an important position in an international airline company and receives a covetous promotion in Amsterdam, she engages a no-strings-attached relationship with her ex- boyfriend Raymond (Chan) and finds out Jia-Jen's secret through her dubious liaison with her new college Kai (Chao). Conspicuously, the linchpin of the film lies between Jia-Chien and Chu, their daughter-father connection is being dissected poignantly through Ang Lee's tender lens.
There is also, Jin-Rong (Sylvia Chang), their neighbour and Jia-Jen's best friend from school, a divorcée bringing up a young daughter, and her recently-back-from-America mother Madame Liang (a Changsha-dialect-speaking Kuei), who never shies away from her (not-so-sublte) intention to remarry Mr. Chu, and she is the true comic relief and a great scene-stealer. All the main characters share one common trait: single-hood, no wonder the upshot is three marriages (or four if one considers one subplot) and two new babies. Ang Lee and his co-screenwriters shrewdly leave little hints intermittently from the beginning until the big revelation near the end during the whole family banquet, the script strikes a chord with the universal relevance of affections between blood relations. Embroidered with heartfelt leading performances from Lung and Wu, greatly impressive supporting turns from Yang and Kuei, as long as the appetising dishes enticing both our senses of taste and vision, Ang Lee cooks up another exquisite main course with his impeccable intuition and even-handed execution, 1994 is eminently a stunning year for cineastes, both in the Orient and the Occident.
Food and Relationships are Much Alike
Blue-Grotto4 August 2019
Preparing food is a lot like making and sustaining relationships; mixing hot and cold, balancing flavors, starting with good ingredients or not, being creative, adding spice and trying new things without losing identity and soul.
A master chef and his trio of mature and live-at-home daughters are each single, unattached and in a funk. Despite living under one roof they move in separate spheres and hardly communicate. Only Sunday dinners, painstakingly made by the father, bind them together. Passions flare as each family member finds themselves on the cusp of a new relationship. Ingredients long held in deep freeze are brought to the boiling point, disparate flavors combine, and the results are unexpected and startling. The point is to savor the dish and not interfere with the cook making it, for we hardly know enough to prepare our own meal much less those of other people.
Director Ang Lee is a master at metaphor and stewing passions. Even at this early stage in his career you may witness his power and prowess in such respects. A warning: do not watch this film on an empty stomach, for the cooking scenes will make your mouth water and whatever is in your pantry - be it raw flour or curry powder - will certainly be consumed in a fit of madness and feeding frenzy.
A master chef and his trio of mature and live-at-home daughters are each single, unattached and in a funk. Despite living under one roof they move in separate spheres and hardly communicate. Only Sunday dinners, painstakingly made by the father, bind them together. Passions flare as each family member finds themselves on the cusp of a new relationship. Ingredients long held in deep freeze are brought to the boiling point, disparate flavors combine, and the results are unexpected and startling. The point is to savor the dish and not interfere with the cook making it, for we hardly know enough to prepare our own meal much less those of other people.
Director Ang Lee is a master at metaphor and stewing passions. Even at this early stage in his career you may witness his power and prowess in such respects. A warning: do not watch this film on an empty stomach, for the cooking scenes will make your mouth water and whatever is in your pantry - be it raw flour or curry powder - will certainly be consumed in a fit of madness and feeding frenzy.
Charming window into Taiwanese home and personal life.
djexplorer9 July 2001
Warning: Spoilers
A beautiful and touching movie. I give it a 9/10.
In some ways similar to Babette's Feast, this movie is far more emotionally warm throughout, with none of the austere northern European Calvanism as is the backdrop needing (and getting) some thawing in that movie. It is also more engaging as a foodie movie, since the traditional high Chinese cooking pervades the whole movie, as the long widowed father's and hence the family's principal focus for emotionally communicating, sharing and supporting his three twenty and thirty something daughters. He has raised them since the youngest, 20 by the movie, was 4, almost entirely by himself -- and has obviously created a warm, thoroughly gentile, and loving, if somewhat reserved (perhaps a cultural norm?) household. He has devoted that part of his life not working in his restaurant entirely to caring for and loving his daughters -- and making them endless and routine family feasts, each Sunday and other times besides.
*Spoiler*
The ending is most life affirming as well. If there was ever a fifty something or perhaps sixty year old widower who deserved to effortlessly win a young woman the age of one of his older daughters (mid 30's?), initially by adopting her 9 year old or so daughter as almost his own grand daughter, it is Mr. Chu. Charmingly, the little girl derives status by bringing lunch pails stuffed with minor versions of his feasts to share at her school. As the movie ends, his new wife is giving the papa another daughter on the way, a little sister for his adopted "grandchild".
In some ways similar to Babette's Feast, this movie is far more emotionally warm throughout, with none of the austere northern European Calvanism as is the backdrop needing (and getting) some thawing in that movie. It is also more engaging as a foodie movie, since the traditional high Chinese cooking pervades the whole movie, as the long widowed father's and hence the family's principal focus for emotionally communicating, sharing and supporting his three twenty and thirty something daughters. He has raised them since the youngest, 20 by the movie, was 4, almost entirely by himself -- and has obviously created a warm, thoroughly gentile, and loving, if somewhat reserved (perhaps a cultural norm?) household. He has devoted that part of his life not working in his restaurant entirely to caring for and loving his daughters -- and making them endless and routine family feasts, each Sunday and other times besides.
*Spoiler*
The ending is most life affirming as well. If there was ever a fifty something or perhaps sixty year old widower who deserved to effortlessly win a young woman the age of one of his older daughters (mid 30's?), initially by adopting her 9 year old or so daughter as almost his own grand daughter, it is Mr. Chu. Charmingly, the little girl derives status by bringing lunch pails stuffed with minor versions of his feasts to share at her school. As the movie ends, his new wife is giving the papa another daughter on the way, a little sister for his adopted "grandchild".
good aperitif but a boring movie
igor-2923 July 1999
Ang Lee's love poem to Taiwan
Cinematheque_Asia9 January 2010
This is one of those rare films that came along and knocked me on my ass because of simply how close it is to my heart. My father is a chef from Taiwan and owned his own restaurant so I grew up around the sights and sounds that you could see in the movie. Even though our family unit is nothing like Chu's in the movie I could identify very well with the humorous and fatalistic trials and tribulations of your typical Chinese household. Eat Drink Man Woman also captured the hectic life of Taiwan fairly well.
Ang Lee proves again what a master he is at blending his skilled hand at film making with contemporary and ancient eastern traditions to come up with this warm-hearted spirited movie. This is simply put a movie about life and enjoying the simple pleasures of family, food, and friends while you can while overcoming a narrow outlook to see the bigger picture. The message is simple but it's the delivery of it that counts.
Ang Lee proves again what a master he is at blending his skilled hand at film making with contemporary and ancient eastern traditions to come up with this warm-hearted spirited movie. This is simply put a movie about life and enjoying the simple pleasures of family, food, and friends while you can while overcoming a narrow outlook to see the bigger picture. The message is simple but it's the delivery of it that counts.
Nice blend of food and relationships
rosscinema4 September 2002
Very well made film of Chinese man and his three daughters and the weaving of relationships not just of the daughters and their father but their boyfriends, their neighbors, and among themselves as sisters. All three actress's have a well defined character to portray and all are lovely to watch. Some of the plot points are a little heavy handed but thats just nit-picking. This is a nicely paced and well acted and written film that has some things to say about people getting on in their lives.
Pretty Wonderful
crossbow01061 January 2008
Throughout this film, I was reminded of the film "Tokyo Story", in that it deals with how the changes in a child's life affects the parent(s). In this film, lensed in Taipei, the widowed father prepares Sunday dinner for his three daughters, all of whom experience life changes during the film. At first you do not like the eldest daughter, whose beauty reminds me a bit of the late, lamented Anita Mui, but she grows on you. What makes this film a delight is that during the film, as the story unfolds, you want to see something good happen to all of them. That is truly the mark of a well made film. The film has a richness that keeps you interested. In terms of scope, I also liken this film to the wonderful "YI YI". Not to be missed.
Eat Drink Fall Asleep.... Zzzz....
paul_haakonsen20 April 2019
Granted, I wasn't sure what to expect when I sat down to watch "Eat Drink Man Woman" (aka "Yin shi nan nv"). But because of my fascination and admiration of the Asian cinema, of course I jumped at the chance to watch this 1994 movie when I had the chance now in 2019.
So was it a good movie? No, not even remotely. The movie was weighed heavily down by a storyline that lacked interest and offered very little in terms of proper script and pacing. And the movie was unfathomably slow paced, with very little happening at any time throughout the course of the movie.
I endured a little more than an hour of the ordeal before I gave up. Although I was tempted to do so more than once along the way. There was just simply not enough happening in the movie to keep me entertained or to keep me interested in watching what would happen next.
And it didn't really help that the characters in the movie were essentially all one and the same. I am not saying that in a racial manner, given the fact that they are all Chinese. No, not at all. I am saying that because each character was every bit as pointless and indistinguishable as the next one, which made for a very mundane and dreadful viewing experience.
How this movie managed to secure such a high rating on IMDb is simply beyond my comprehension, because I was growing steadily more and more bored and disinterested in the movie as it paced on at snail pace.
This was definitely not a movie aimed at me as the target audience. I gave up shortly after 1 hour of being bored senseless, and I can with full honesty say that I am not returning to finish the rest of the movie at any given time in the future.
So was it a good movie? No, not even remotely. The movie was weighed heavily down by a storyline that lacked interest and offered very little in terms of proper script and pacing. And the movie was unfathomably slow paced, with very little happening at any time throughout the course of the movie.
I endured a little more than an hour of the ordeal before I gave up. Although I was tempted to do so more than once along the way. There was just simply not enough happening in the movie to keep me entertained or to keep me interested in watching what would happen next.
And it didn't really help that the characters in the movie were essentially all one and the same. I am not saying that in a racial manner, given the fact that they are all Chinese. No, not at all. I am saying that because each character was every bit as pointless and indistinguishable as the next one, which made for a very mundane and dreadful viewing experience.
How this movie managed to secure such a high rating on IMDb is simply beyond my comprehension, because I was growing steadily more and more bored and disinterested in the movie as it paced on at snail pace.
This was definitely not a movie aimed at me as the target audience. I gave up shortly after 1 hour of being bored senseless, and I can with full honesty say that I am not returning to finish the rest of the movie at any given time in the future.
wonderful comedy
hbs5 March 2002
This is a very entertaining movie. The acting is first-rate, and the food is astonishing. The meals are so elaborate and large that watching them be prepared I laughed out loud. It's an outstanding movie, and so involving that I forgot all about the subtitles. If you insist on an American version, "Tortilla Soup" is a good remake, but this is the better movie.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
