Film Review: Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

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Ang Lee is the most famous of all directors in the history of Taiwanese cinema, mostly on the account of being one of the very few Asian film makers to make successful career in Hollywood. Lee owed its Hollywood success to his early 1990s Taiwanese films, with themes and style already tailored for brave new globalised world and partially set in America. His only film to be completely set in native country was celebrated 1994 romantic drama Eat Drink Man Woman.

The plot is set in Taipei and the protagonist, played by Sihung Lung, is Mr. Zhu, widowed master chef who lives with his three adult daughters. Zhu Jia-Jen (played by Kuei-mei Yang), the oldest daughter works as a high school match teacher; still recovering from having her heart broken many years ago, lives as old maid, finding the compensation for lack romance in newly found Christian faith, although being attracted to her school colleague, volleyball coach Ming Dao (played by Chin-Cheng Lu). Zhu Chia-Jen (played by Chien-lien Wu), middle daughter, is successful executive in airline company who maintains affair with artist Raymond (played by Chit-man Lester) while being attracted to married executive Li Kai (played by Winston Chao). Zhu Jia-Ning, the youngest daughter, (played by Wang Yu-wen) works at Wendy’s fast food restaurant and steals boyfriend Guo Lun (played by Chao Jung-chen) from her colleague and best friend Rachel (played by Yu Chen). Zhu, who is dealing with the issues of age and apparent loss of taste, meets with his daughters during elaborately prepared Sunday dinners. His superb culinary skills are intact and he uses them to make school lunches for Shan-Shan (played by Yun Chien-tang), young daughter of divorced neighbour Jin Rong (played by Sylvia Chang), whose mother Mrs. Liang (played by Guah Ah-leh), recently arrived from United States, aggressively pursues Zhu as potential husband.

Eat Drink Man Woman, together with Lee’s previous two films (Pushing Hands and The Wedding Banquet) represents so-called “Father Knows Best* trilogy in which the director explored conflict between tradition and modernity. In this film it is presented through the protagonist as father figure who tries to maintain his family according to Confucian principles embodied in traditional Chinese cuisine, but also has to deal to daughters who, each in her own ways, embraced Western values – through Christianity, globalised business or promiscuous lifestyle. Mr. Zhu, brilliantly played by Sihung Lu, is fighting what appears to be a losing battle, not only because his daughters would inevitably leave his home and start their own families, but also because Chinese cuisine in Taiwan, after nearly half a century from being severed from the Mainland, is slowly disappearing and new generations of chefs lack the skill and respect to protect it from foreign influences. Lee depicts that process through protagonist being faced with losing the sense of taste, as well as injecting the story with bits of tragedy and comedy. Lee obviously holds great respect for tradition, which is lovingly portrayed in the beginning when protagonist takes great deal of time and skill to prepare what looks like an impressive meal (a scene that it took almost a week to be properly prepared and shot). It is the very tradition that would ultimately help Zhu to adapt to reconcile with the new realities – the Confucian maxim which serves as a title and advocates proper balance between satisfying culinary and sexual needs will lead to a decision that helps the film end with semi-comical and surprise twist.

Lee directs film with great skill, helped by script he co-wrote with Wang Hui-ling and his frequent collaborator James Schamus. Although it provides few glimpses of 1990s Taiwan that might have looked exotic to Western audience, his country is portrayed as undoubtedly modern and “hip” place. Lee doesn’t allow those details to stand in the way of the story and his greatest asset is a very good and talented cast, including his old collaborator Sihung Lung. Lee, however, has some difficulties in connecting various subplots dealing with Zhu’s daughters – many of which look quite “soapy” – into coherent narrative, especially at the beginning. As a result, East Drink Man Woman might look too slow and somewhat “artsy” for most audience, although those who are patient enough might be rewarded with satisfying experience at the end. East Drink Man Woman proved to be a big box office hit not only in Taiwan, but in many other countries, including USA, where it helped pave the way for Lee to continue career in Hollywood. Critics were also enthusiastic and Eat Drink Man Woman was nominated for Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2001 it received inevitable Hollywood remake in the form of Tortilla Soup, film that changed the setting to Los Angeles and based the plot around Mexican cuisine.

RATING: 6/10 (++)