Top Food Films

This list of Best Food Films is long overdue. In the past, I tried to do a proper Food Cinema series for the Cinematheque but the series never happened. As consolation, I programmed a few contemporary food related films for various film festivals but a proper spotlight was always elusive. In a way, the delay was perhaps meant to be considering that the top 2 films in this list have been released in the last 3 years. Now, the timing is right.

Top 20 Food Films

1. The Taste of Things (2023, France/Belgium, Trần Anh Hùng)

A lovely film that takes us from the journey of growing food, sourcing local ingredients, careful food preparation ending with food consumption. This is that rare film that lets us hear the moaning pleasure of having that delicious dish while also showcasing the glutinous nature of devouring vast amounts of food. The film is also a tender love story forged over food and extends the statement “that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” Because in this film, a man also cooks for a woman, thereby making the kitchen an equal space for men-women to neatly perform their food dance.

2. The Great Indian Kitchen (2021, India, Jeo Baby)

The film, true to its title, showcases scrumptious dishes being prepared. The food preparation and techniques are shown in incredible detail but it becomes apparent that the film is more than about food and the kitchen is more than just a space to make food. The difference in roles of the husband and wife are emphasized as are the expectations of a woman in some segments of society. The Great Indian Kitchen is in stark contrast to The Taste of Things in showing the different roles of men-women in a kitchen. The Taste of things shows a more equitable kitchen but Jeo Baby’s indian film transforms a kitchen as an isolated prison for a woman forced to cook.

Even though this film is rooted in South India, aspects about marriage and treatment of women are applicable to many other patriarchal societies around the world. Credit to the director Jeo Baby of how this depiction is shown, by repetition of the same tasks, which definitely produces a visceral reaction.

3. Tampopo (1985, Japan, Jûzô Itami)

The pleasure of food consumption is shown in all its glory highlighted by this scene of how to properly eat a bowl of ramen. The film is hilarious, thoughtful and makes one hungry.

4. The Lunchbox (2013, India/France/Germany/US/Canada, Ritesh Batra)

Another tender love story forged over meals but in this case, for the longest time, the cook and the eater don’t share the same space. In fact, their meals are transported in the tiffins which exchange many hands as their long journey via trains, bicycles and walking.

5. Pig (2021, US/UK, Michael Sarnoski)

Pig covers many aspects of the food business process, right from procuring ingredients to suppliers who distribute those ingredients to restaurants to chefs who use or misuse those ingredients. In addition, the film also highlights the fickle nature of restaurants and trends and smartly shows how memory is tied with our food experiences. The sun is hardly seen during the film and the overcast look enhances the film’s mood and energy, which in one incredible sequence channels the same spirit as that of Fight Club.

6. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994, Taiwan/US, Ang Lee)

The food preparation is shown in loving detail in addition to how food brings a family together.

7. The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014, US/UAE/India, Lasse Hallström)

Food preparation and recipes are at the core of this film but like Ratatouille, The Hundred-Foot Journey challenges the notion of who can cook and be considered a chef.

8. Ratatouille (2007, US, Brad Bird/Jan Pinkava)

Food preparation is in focus but film also illustrates the role critics play in increasing a restaurant and a chef’s fame. There is also a challenge to traditional notion of who can cook and who is worthy to be considered a chef. And all of these are neatly packaged in a glossy animated gift.

9. Big Night (1996, US, Campbell Scott/Stanley Tucci)

Even though restaurants are featured in other films on this list, Big Night focuses more on the nut and bolts of the restaurant business and what it takes to keep the lights on. Also, pasta is highlighted unlike most films on this list.

10. Babette’s Feast (1987, Denmark, Gabriel Axel)

Babette’s Feast is the ultimate food movie and for the longest time was #1 on this list. In spirit, this film is a precursor to The Taste of Things. While The Taste of Things keeps the food circle small, Babette’s Feast focuses on a village and community.

11. Like Water for Chocolate (1992, Mexico, Alfonso Arau)

Like Water for Chocolate emphasizes how love is an invisible yet key ingredient in food dishes. This film hammers that point home when in the absence of love, sadness and tears turn the dish bitter.

12. Mid-August Lunch (2008, Italy, Gianni Di Gregorio)

No matter the age, people love to eat. And some love to cook even more. Easily, one of the most charming and light hearted films about food on the list. As a bonus, this tender film features a different age category than the other films on this list.

13. Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011, US, David Gelb)

The only documentary on this list. Pure brilliance.

14. In The Mood for Love (2000, Hong Kong/France, Wong Kar-Wai)

The act of picking food up from stalls is elevated in the most seductive manner via “Yumeji’s Theme” used for the noodle-stand scene between Maggie Cheung and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung’s characters. There is no dialogue in the scene and the score turns a normal occurrence of going to the noodle stand into a seductive waltz. 

15. Ramen Shop (2018, Singapore/Japan/France, Eric Khoo)

In the tradition of Tampopo and Eat Drink Man Woman, Ramen Shop is a mouth-watering film that scrumptiously shows that in different cultures, food is more than just sustenance. The film covers the incredible Singaporean food scene and also depicts a way to combine Japanese and Singaporean food cultures in a unique manner. Ramen Shop also shows that how a food can lead to a love story, which in this case is via the Singaporean dish Bak kut teh (Pork rib soup).

16. Hunger (2023, Thailand, Sitisiri Mongkolsiri)

Hunger highlights the cut-throat food competition that fuels some chefs to create new dishes. The film also gets to the core of what makes a soulful dish and pits street food vs high end cuisine.

17. Ravening (2018, India, Bhaskar Hazarika)

Aamis (Ravening) boldly pushes the boundaries of food by covering the vastly different dishes that exist in North East India, dishes which turn our entire conception of Indian food on its head. The film then goes into even more uncharted territory by including an ingredient that will make people squirm in their seats.

18. East Side Sushi (2014, US, Anthony Lucero)

Fusion of different food cultures is highlighted along with the struggle a chef has in establishing her mark in a culinary world that often looks at a person’s gender or ethnicity rather than letting their dish do all the talking.

19. The Menu (2022, US, Mark Mylod)

The first 20 minutes are a beautiful testament to the perfection some chefs seek in preparing their dishes. Then the film changes course completely and descends into a much more gory territory.

20. Chef (2014, US, Jon Favreau)

Covers food trucks and the how that has played an important part in the North American food culture over the last few decades.

Best Films from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan

Wonders in the Dark is having a poll to determine the best 15 films from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

It is tough to narrow down just 15 films from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan especially since they all have a rich history of cinema going back almost a century to the 1920s-early 1930s. On top of that, there are many diverse genre films from this part of the world making it challenging to pit one film style against another. Ultimately, I opted for the following 15 films.

Best Films from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan

1. In the Mood for Love (2000, Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai)
2. Yi Yi: A One and a Two (2000, Taiwan, Edward Yang)
3. Flowers of Shanghai (1998, Taiwan, Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
4. Platform (2000, China, Jia Zhang-ke)
5. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994, Taiwan, Ang Lee)
6. Election (2005, Hong Kong, Johnnie To)
7. Spring in a Small Town (1948, China, Fei Mu)
8. Raise the Red Lantern (1991, China, Zhang Yimou)
9. West of the Tracks (2002, China, Wang Bing)
10. What Time is It There? (2001, Taiwan, Tsai Ming-liang)
11. Chungking Express (1994, Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai)
12. Infernal Affairs (2002, Hong Kong, Andrew Lau/Alan Mak)
13. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, Taiwan/Hong Kong/China, Ang Lee)
14. Devils on the Doorstep (2000, China, Wen Jiang)
15. Ash is Purest White (2018, China, Jia Zhang-ke)

One surprising aspect of this list was finding out that I included 5 films from the Year 2000. That means 1/3 of all the films in this list came from one year. The stellar quality of these 5 films does indicate that 2000 was a strong year for Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.

In the Mood for Love (2000, Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai)
Yi Yi: A One and a Two (2000, Taiwan, Edward Yang)
Platform (2000, China, Jia Zhang-ke)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, Taiwan/Hong Kong/China, Ang Lee)
Devils on the Doorstep (2000, China, Wen Jiang)

In the Mood for Love is one of Wong Kar-wai’s most iconic films. Yi Yi is considered one of Edward Yang’s best films while Jia Zhang-ke’s second feature, Platform, helped propel his name globally. Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon certainly established a new found love for wuxia in the West. Wen Jiang’s powerful 2nd feature Devils on the Doorstep got plenty of attention after it won the Grand Jury prize at Cannes 2000.

[Updated List, May 11, 2022]

Best Films from China, Hong Kong, Taiwan

1. In the Mood for Love (2000, Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai)
2. Yi Yi: A One and a Two (2000, Taiwan, Edward Yang)
3. Flowers of Shanghai (1998, Taiwan, Hou Hsiao-Hsien)
4. Platform (2000, China, Jia Zhang-ke)
5. Boat People (1982, Hong Kong, Ann Hui)
6. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994, Taiwan, Ang Lee)
7. Election (2005, Hong Kong, Johnnie To)
8. Raise the Red Lantern (1991, China, Zhang Yimou)
9. West of the Tracks (2002, China, Wang Bing)
10. What Time is It There? (2001, Taiwan, Tsai Ming-liang)
11. Chungking Express (1994, Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai)
12. Infernal Affairs (2002, Hong Kong, Andrew Lau/Alan Mak)
13. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000, Taiwan/Hong Kong/China, Ang Lee)
14. Devils on the Doorstep (2000, China, Wen Jiang)
15. Ash is Purest White (2018, China, Jia Zhang-ke)
16. Spring in a Small Town (1948, China, Fei Mu)

The Films of Edward Yang

 "Did you like the movie?"
"A bit too serious".
"You prefer comedies?"
"Not really. But it didn't have to be so sad."
"Life is a mixture of sad and happy things. Movies are so lifelike, that's why we love them."
"Then who needs movies? Just stay home and live life!".
"My uncle says we live three times as long since man invented movies."
"How can that be?"
"It means movies give as twice what we get from daily life."
-- Yi Yi (A One and a two), Edward Yang

Once again, I started at the end. Yi Yi (2000) was the last film that Edward Yang directed but it was the first of his films that I saw. To make matters worse, I saw the film shortly after Edward Yang passed away on June 29, 2007 at the age of 59. Just as I was discovering the works of one of the best directors in the world, he was gone thereby depriving the world of his talent. The extent of that loss has become more stark in the last few years especially as the status of Taiwan changes politically, economically and even socially. I wasn’t aware of any political, economic and social aspects covered in Edward Yang’s films back in 2007. These aspects didn’t catch my eye as I watched a few more of his films over the years such as A Brighter Summer Day (1991), Taipei Story (1985) and The Terrorizers (1986). Therefore, it felt appropriate to do a proper spotlight and watch all his features in order.

The plan was to watch all of Edward Yang’s seven features and the first short he directed as part of the omnibus In Our Time.

In Our Time (1982, Tao Te-chen, Edward Yang, Ko I-Chen, Yi Chang)
That Day, on the Beach (1983)
Taipei Story (1985)
The Terrorizers (1986)
A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
A Confucian Confusion (1994)
Mahjong (1996)
Yi Yi (2000)

Note: I couldn’t get the DVD of Edward Yang’s first feature That Day, on the Beach, which is also Christopher Doyle's first film as a cinematographer. The DVD was available a few years ago but I delayed getting it and now it is out of print. So I continued the spotlight without it.

Edward Yang’s name is associated with the “New Wave of Taiwanese Cinema” along with that of Hou Hsiao-hsien, Tsai Ming-liang and Ang Lee. However, as it turns out, within this New Wave of Taiwanese Cinema, there are 2 phases with Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-hsien falling in the first phase while Tsai Ming-liang and Ang Lee being in the second phase. The association between Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang is more solidified as well due to their collaboration on Edward Yang’s early films. Hou wrote and acted in Taipei Story while also starred in Yang’s first feature, That Day, on the Beach. Both were also born in 1947 with Hou being older by a few months.

Hou in Taipei Story

However, Edward Yang’s style and themes are quite different from those of Hou Hsiao-hsien, Tsai Ming-liang.

Confucius: The City is too crowded
Disciples: What can we do about it?
Confucius: “Make the people rich”
Disciples: “What comes next after they are made rich?

2,000 years of poverty and struggles later,
It took a city named Taipei just 20 years to become one of the wealthiest cities in the world.

The above words are shown at the start of A Confucian Confusion (1994) and outline one big aspect covered in Edward Yang’s films. His films, starting with 1985’s Taipei Story, depict how Taiwan’s role in the world changed. Taiwan and its capital city, Taipei, went through a technological manufacturing change starting in the 1980s. 

This change impacted the social and economic life in Taiwan with regards to jobs/career and the tension this new working life would put on relationships. That is why Yang’s films feature many isolated characters and relationships in turmoil, themes and elements often found in Western films. However, Edward Yang depicted isolated characters in a different manner than Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang. Tsai Ming-liang has shown lonely characters in his films but these characters live on their own or are seeking companionship. On the other hand, Edward Yang depicted isolated characters in a relationship or within a multi-generational family. Showing families and how different family members impact each other is a key part of Edward Yang’s films.

Yi Yi feels like the culmination of Yang’s career and all the various themes he explored in his earlier films. Yi Yi contains combines elements of Coming of age, romance/relationship/marital problems and career/economic discussions. 

A Brighter Summer Day

Edward Yang explored Coming of Age in more detail via In Our Time and A Brighter Summer Day while he depicted career discussions and relationship/marital problems in varying degrees in That Day, on the Beach, Taipei Story, The Terrorizers, A Confucian Confusion and Mahjong. Gangs and violence are missing from Yi Yi and this is an element that Yang showed in A Brighter Summer Day while Mahjong is a more detailed coverage of the gang world and violence. The Terrorizers is also book-ended by a violent aspect which is nicely woven into the story.

The Terrorizers

Put together, all these films highlight the changing nature of Taiwan historically, politically, economically and socially. The inclusion of economic aspects is also based on Edward Yang’s career and how he came into movies. 

Robert Sklar's Cineaste interview from 2000 is worth reading but these words from Yang helped illuminate some scenes in Yi Yi:

"I found a job in Seattle at a research laboratory that contracted to do classified defense projects in microcomputers. I was among the first generation of designers and applicators for microcomputers and microprocessors. "

This explains the details regarding the dialogues/scenes of computer design and venture capitalists shown in Yi Yi. Edward Yang was familiar with this computer world in real life and he found a smart manner to incorporate aspects of this tech world. Of course, to Yang’s credit, he doesn’t include any detailed technical discussions but instead uses the tech world as a lubricant to depict human relationships, how people interact with one another and what motivates some people.

Edward Yang’s films covered the first phase of Taiwan’s economic change. Now, as Taiwan is in the middle of another economic change, I thought of Edward Yang again.  What would Edward Yang make of Taipei today?  The following quotes from Amy Qin and Amy Chang Chien’s NYT article stand-out:

The relatively few people who are allowed to enter Taiwan have been coming in droves, and they’ve helped to fuel an economic boom.

The influx of people helped make Taiwan one of last year’s fastest-growing economies — indeed, one of the few to expand at all.

Steve Chen, 42, a Taiwanese-American entrepreneur who co-founded YouTube, was the first to sign up for the gold card program. He moved to the island from San Francisco with his wife and two children in 2019. Then, after the pandemic hit, many of his friends in Silicon Valley, particularly those with Taiwanese heritage, began to join him — a reverse brain drain, of sorts.

Taiwan’s leaders say the infusion of foreign talent has given a shot of energy to its tech industry, which is better known for manufacturing prowess than for entrepreneurial culture.

The economic changes in Taiwan are also changing the social life on the island. Maybe in the future, someone will document the evolving changes in Taiwan but Edward Yang covered it first. For that, his valuable cinematic contributions to the world will forever be cemented.

Other reading:

1. Jonathan Rosenbaum: Exiles in Modernity

2. David Bordwell: A Brighter Summer Day
3. Bordwell again
4. Lawrence Garcia on Yi Yi