Spicy Love Soup

Infobox Chinese Film
name = Spicy Love Soup


image_size =
caption =
director = Zhang Yang
producer = Zhang Peimin
Duan Zhongtan (e.p.)
Xue Zhongding (e.p.) Peter Loehr (e.p.)
writer = Zhang Yang
Cai Shangjun
Diao Yi'nan
Liu Fendou
narrator =
starring =
music = Jia Minshu
cinematography = Zhang Jian
editing = Yang Hongyu
distributor = Xi'an Film Studio (China)
China Film Corp. (international)
released = )
runtime =
language = Mandarin Chinese
budget = $ 200,000 (U.S.)
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:162773
imdb_id = 0239220
jianti = 爱情麻辣烫
fanti = 愛情麻辣燙
pinyin = Aìqíng málà tàng

"Spicy Love Soup" is a 1997 Chinese film directed by Zhang Yang and written by Zhang, Liu Fendou, Cai Shangjun, and Diao Yi'nan based on a story by Zhang and Peter Loehr. "Spicy Love Soup" was produced by Loehr's Imar Film Company, primarily from Taiwanese sources, with the auspices of the state-run Xi'an Film Studio.

The film is Zhang's directorial debut and would prove to be a launching pad for those both in front and behind the cameras. Screenwriters Cai Shangjun ("The Red Awn") and Diao Yi'nan ("Uniform", "Night Train") have since gone on to direct their own films, while Liu Fendou has expanded into both directing ("Green Hat") and film production (Zhang Yibai's "Spring Subway"). The cast is also notable for the debuts of two of China's most popular actresses, Gao Yuanyuan and Xu Jinglei.

The film is an anthology of sorts, and tells its story of love and life in modern Beijing through a series of five vignettes.

"Spicy Love Soup" was, in addition, the first film in mainland China to see a simultaneous release of a soundtrack, consisting primarily of Taiwanese pop songs.cite web|title=Spicy Love Soup Review| author=Elley, Derek|publisher="Variety"| url=http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117913029.html?categoryid=31&cs=1|date=1998-06-28|accessdate=2007-11-30]

Cast

First vignette

*Wang Xuebing, a husband
*Liu Jie, his wife

econd vignette

*Tang Sifu, an elderly widow
*Li Mei, her daughter
*Liu Zhao, a suitor
*Li Tang, a suitor
*Wen Xingyu, a suitor

Third vignette

*Zhao Miao, a school boy,
*Gao Yuanyuan, his object of affection

Fourth vignette

*Guo Tao, a husband
*Xu Fan, and his wife

Fifth vignette

*Sun Yisheng, a young boy
*Pu Cunxin, his father
*Lu Liping, his mother

ixth vignette

*Shao Bing, a young man
*Xu Jinglei, a young woman

Reception

Released internationally in London's East West Film Festival in June 1998, "Spicy Love Soup" was generally well received by western critics. Derek Elley of Variety cited the film as being a pioneering example of the "well directed" Chinese movie, that nevertheless doesn't fall into the camp of "artier" fare.The film was also well received in mainland China, where it had been released a year earlier, where it became one of the most successful independent films released domestically. [cite web|url=http://www.sandiegometro.com/reel/index.php?reelID=46|title=Shower|publisher="San Diego Metropolitan Magazine"|author = Lowerison, Jan|accessdate=2007-12-01]

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0239220|title=Spicy Love Soup
*amg title|id=1:162773|title=Spicy Love Soup
* [http://www.dianying.com/en/title/aqm1997 "Spicy Love Soup"] at the Chinese Movie Database