Gastronomic Extravaganzas
Updated 26 December 2006
An almost impossible task, there have been some successful attempts to portray great food on film. Here are a few that will whet your appetite:
Big Night Two immigrant brothers try their hand as restaurateurs in Atlantic City in the 1950's. The elder brother, Primo is a temperamental chef while the younger of the pair Segundo is a masterful Maitre'd. Business is poor and they stake their hopes on serving a memorable meal to a well known Italian performer. 1996 110 minutes Rated R
Sideways Technically this is not a food film and if you have no patience with wine snobs, you ought to skip this. However if you like slow, uneventful films with good acting and a subtle slow moving story this may be just your cup of tea. Two ex- college room mates, now in their 40's head for northern California for a week of carousing and wine drinking. Sort of an oenophile's bachelor party. Miles is a mousey English teacher, wannabe author and real serious about his wine. His college buddy, a voice over actor, is getting married at the end of the week and is determined to play the field for the few days he has left. It all works out. Everybody gets drunk, everybody gets laid, some deception ensues and some lies are told.. 2004 Rated R 135 minutes
The God of Cookery Stephen Chiau wrote directs and stars as the God of Cookery, who may be the meanest food critic of all times. He meets his downfall when he is challenged by an understudy chef and it is apparent he cannot cook. He then loses his 20 restaurants for serving British beef in this Hong Kong gastronomic comedy. He gets picked up from the gutter by Sister Turkey ( Karen Mok) who runs a noodle stand in the Temple Street market and has a crush on him. They invent a dish called" Explosive Pissing Beef Balls" which rockets them to success. In a series of scenes that skewer Kung Fu films Stephen tries to regain his crown in a master cooking contest. It's all very tongue in cheek and quite clever. Cantonese with English subtitles. VCD & DVD
Tampopo The quest for the perfect bowl of noodles leads a mob boss, two truck drivers and a Japanese mother to open their own noodle shop. The action is interlaced with some rather creative and highly erotic uses for food. Thanks to Hanna for the suggestion. Directed by Juzo Itami 1986 Japanese with subtitles 115 minutes
Babbette's Feast The actors are two dimensional next to the fulsome dinner served up by Babette. You leave this film with the strange sense it was an erotic love story, yet that's not the case. Eat before hand.
The Dinner Game Once a week some friends gather for dinner and each of them must bring an idiot along for the others entertainment. Not actually a food film, it does revolve around one particular idiot who builds models from matchsticks. His host sprains his back and cannot escort him so they end up spending a hilarious evening together. Not unlike La Cage aux Folles which shares he same writer. 81 minutes French w/subtitles Rated PG 13
Eat, Drink, Man, Woman This otherwise dysfunctional Chinese family manage to convey their love and tenderness through their preparation of meals. It may sound corny, but it works. Directed by Ang Lee, you might also check his The Wedding Feast which has a fair amount of food as well as a better story line. 1994 2 hours
Like Water for Chocolate An great version of a confusing book written by Laura Esquivel. Similar to the two above, this film deals with peoples relationships through their love of cooking. A younger sister must prepare the wedding feast for her older sisters marriage to the man she loves. She becomes a mystic cook that alters the behavior of her appreciative diners. Directed by Alfonso Arua,( the author's husband) the characters and the acting are superb. 1992 Unrated 112 Minutes
My Dinner With Andre Who would guess you'd sit through two hours of watching Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory eat in a restaurant. Louis Malle directed this minimalist film, that could only a playwright could have conceived. You'll either like it or find it all pretentious NY avante garde malarkey. 1981 Rated PG 110 minutes
The Scent of Green Papaya This is a well told tale of a young kitchen servant in an upper class Vietnamese family. Set during the post colonial era, we follow the orphan girl Miu up through her womanhood while her employers family dissolves around them. Slow stuff, but I figured it had food in the title.
A Chef In Love Although we can't find a copy of this Georgian film, Albert assures us it is about food and is the second Georgian movie in our listings.
The Cook The Thief, His Wife & Her Lover see CANNIBALISM CLASSICS
The Favor, The Watch and the Very Big Fish Bob Hoskins, Natasha Richardson, Michel Blanc and Jeff Goldblum compose the unlikely cast in this adaptation of the Marcel Ayme short story "Rue St. Sulpice" . Hoskins is a photographer who makes kitchy religious photos. His sister makes a very interesting meal from a whole swordfish. He hires Goldblum to play Jesus and Jeff starts taking the part a bit too seriously. Richardson is their quirky love interest who has an interesting story to tell. This sleeper might have been a Handmade film, but was made after their demise. Don't give up on it, at least until you see Goldblum/Jesus walk on water. This is not really a food movie but the title similarities made me post them together. Directed by Ben Lewin Rated R 1992 90 minutes.
Daniela from Sydney recommends her food favorites:
Soul Food
The Discrete Charm Of the Bourgeoisie
91/2 Weeks
Le Grad Bouffe
Tom Jones find the 1963 version for a surprisingly sexy food scene
Women in Love recommended by Gina E. for the fig eating scene
Draughtsman's Contract another food pick sent in by Gina.
ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SOME MORE FOOD MOVIES ?
