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Taiwan, China · 1994
Rated PG-13 · 2h 3m
Director Ang Lee
Starring Sihung Lung, Yu-Wen Wang, Wu Chien-Lien, Yang Kuei-Mei
Genre Comedy, Drama, Romance
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Widowed and semi-retired master chef Chu lives with his single adult daughters in Taipei. As each young woman brings a man into their life, Sunday dinners provide a chance for gathering as the family goes on diverging life trajectories. However, the family bond reaches breaking point when Chu develops a romantic relationship of his own.
This is a startlingly superior piece of craftsmanship, with the flavour of life and richness of the script conveyed via uniformly wonderful performances. Above all, though, it's Lee's foodie masterstrokes, as Chu prepares his elaborate menus, that make the film so mouth-wateringly unforgettable.
Washington Post by Desson Thomson
The movie’s main appeal—beyond stomach yearnings caused by its cuisine—comes from the actors, who infuse their archetypal roles with comedic appeal.
San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann
Director Ang Lee ("The Wedding Banquet") spared no effort in giving the food its perfect preparation and display. Brace yourself for a visual orgy.
Tasty ingredients (Sihung Lung's Mr Chu and Chien-Lien Wu's Jia-Chien are especially good), but the food metaphor never carries weight, and the characterisations are too shallow to lend the film emotional punch.
ReelViews by James Berardinelli
Dealing with subjects that could easily have emerged half-baked, Lee instead applies his talent and comes up with a dish cooked to perfection.
The New York Times by Janet Maslin
Its thoughts about its characters don't go much deeper than the bottom of a soup bowl, but those thoughts are still expressed with affection, wit and an abundance of fascinating cooking tips.
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
The personalities in this well-drawn family combine to produce subtle new flavors — and in the end, no one is spiced as you’d imagined they’d be.
Austin Chronicle by Marjorie Baumgarten
With great subtlety and knowing humor, Eat Drink Man Woman emerges as one of those unforeseen treats.
Chicago Tribune by Michael Wilmington
It's a movie that literally makes your mouth water. A smart, sprightly, lip-smacking comedy about a Taipei master chef who's lost his sense of taste and his tangled family problems with three romantically troubled daughters. It crackles with iridescent style and wit.
Even if Eat Drink Man Woman had no plot, it’d be a pleasure to watch.
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