- The Chinese Feast
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The Chinese Feast
DVD coverDirected by Tsui Hark Produced by Tsui Hark
Raymond Wong
Lee LingWritten by Philip Cheng
Ng Man-Fai
Tsui Hark
Yuen Kai-ChiStarring Leslie Cheung
Anita Yuen
Kenny Bee
Law Kar-yingMusic by Lowell Lo Cinematography Peter Pau
Poon Hang-SangEditing by Marco Mak Distributed by Mandarin Films Ltd. Release date(s) January 28, 1995
January 28, 1998Running time 100 mins Country Hong Kong Language Cantonese Box office HK$31,117,576.00 The Chinese Feast (Chinese: 金玉滿堂) is a 1995 Hong Kong film co-written, produced and directed by Tsui Hark, and starring Leslie Cheung, Anita Yuen, Kenny Bee, and Law Kar-ying.
Contents
Synopsis
Kit was a master chef who once raked in many accolades as being the finest Chinese cook. An elite cooking competition had placed him enviably in front of many aspiring colleagues and he seemed to have the world at his feet. However, the competition placed him in a dilemma of conflicting interests of heart - his own craft or the woman whom he loves.
His obsession (and persistently stubborn attitude) with his work confirmed that he did not appear to hold his girlfriend in a special regard. She was about to give birth to their child, at the same time he was about to participate in an important and prestigious cooking contest. She dumped him for disregarding the relationship. Realising that a successful career can only be shared with a significant other, Kit turned bitter. He became an alcoholic, traumatized by the separation. His career diminished and he was quickly forgotten. To further compound problems, his sense of taste appeared to have left him due to his constant drunken state, and he became cranky and unsociable.
Elsewhere, a popular Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong owned by Au was approached by an organisation 'Super Group' who wished to merge all major Chinese restaurants into a powerful group to eliminate all opposition in Asia. Au protested and the Super Group supremo throws down a challenge to cook the legendary Manchu Han Imperial Feast, where the loser would be absorbed into the Super Group indefinitely. Aw's employees were poached over to 'Super Group', being promised that they will own a share of the restaurant and better salary if Au loses the challenge.
Au then enlists the assistance of former triad member a rookie chef named Sun who aspires to be a top chef, and had worked at Au's restaurant wishing to shed his criminal past together with Au's daughter Wai. After several foiled attempts at preparing even a simple dish, they then realised the futility of their initial efforts as the Feast could only be accomplished by a master chef and their limited cooking skills would be of no use if they were to save their establishment.
They seek the help of Lung Kwun-bo, a master chef, but he did not know how to cook the Imperial Feast. Lung recommended them to seek Kit in China to engage his service to cook in the challenge. After meeting Kit and verifying that his skills are gone, Lung got both of them to find his wife to wake Kit up. Kit and his wife reunited after some persuasion. With the assistance of Lung, Sun and Wai managed to stimulate Kit's skills back.
During the tournament, the contestants prepared rare and luxurious dishes. Kit was able to recapture his previous glories and ultimately saved Au's restaurant after a closely fought contest. The movie would eventually end on a happy note as is the theme of all Lunar New Year movies.
Cast and roles
- Leslie Cheung - Sun (a former triad member chef)
- Amy Fan Yik Man - Sun's former girl friend
- Kenny Bee - Kit (a deposed master-chef relied upon to save the restaurant)
- Law Kar-ying - Au (restaurateur battling to save his restaurant from a merger)
- Anita Yuen - Ka Wai (Au's daughter who cannot cook and is a playful, zany girl)
- Vincent Zhao - Lung Kwun-bo
See also
- Babette's Feast
- Big Night
- Chocolat
- Eat Drink Man Woman
- God of Cookery
- Like Water for Chocolate
- Osaka Wrestling Restaurant
- Tampopo
- Tortilla Soup
- The Wedding Banquet
External links
Films directed by Tsui Hark 1970s The Butterfly Murders (1979)1980s Dangerous Encounter - 1st Kind (1980) • We're Going to Eat You (1980) • All the Wrong Clues (1981) • Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983) • Shanghai Blues (1984) • Aces Go Places 3 (1984) • Working Class (1985) • Peking Opera Blues (1986) • A Better Tomorrow 3 (1989) • The Master (1989)1990s The Swordsman (1990) • King of Chess (1991) • Once Upon a Time in China (1991) • The Raid (1991) • Once Upon a Time in China II (1992) • Swordsman II (1992) • Green Snake (1993) • Once Upon a Time in China III (1993) • The Lovers (1994) • Once Upon a Time in China V (1994) • Love in the Time of Twilight (1995) • The Blade (1995) • The Chinese Feast (1995) • Tristar (1996) • Double Team (1997) • Knock Off (1998)2000s Time and Tide (2000) • The Legend of Zu (2001) • Black Mask 2: City of Masks (2002) • Seven Swords (2005) • The Warrior (2006) • Missing (2008) • All About Women (2008)2010s Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010) • The Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011)Collaborating director Cinema of Hong Kong Actors · Directors · Cinematographers · Ocean Shores · Producers · Shaw Brothers Studio · Films A–Z · Action films · WritersFilms by year:
1909–1929 · 1930s · 1940s
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2010 · 2011 · 2012Categories:- 1995 films
- Hong Kong films
- Cantonese-language films
- Hong Kong cuisine
- Cooking films
- Films directed by Tsui Hark
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