This was a very funny, fast paced movie. I watched it more than once and am keeping my rental around to show others. I'd just like to take this opportunity to ask anyone in the know, how do HK producers choose their subtitle translators? I'm most curious. Please direct me. Again, to return to review, it is a really rollicking film with plenty of content, subtleties reminiscent of the classics, though full of slapstick. Reminiscent, say, of the Mexican comedies of Cantinflas.The film does not disappoint fans of the director who have noticed that he chooses distinctly Chinese themes, trying to get to characteristics rarely explored. The director's entire collection is way of getting a look inside the culture in a disarming way.And I don't see how his funny girl in Chinese Feast could be topped.
... View MoreThe first time i saw this movie was on a flight between Guangzhou, China and Los Angeles. It was a real hoot and made the trip pass with much less discomfort than the normal 10 hour flight. I tried to locate a copy of it without success until I discovered a copy for sale on eBay. Having now watched it twice, I recommend it as good entertainment. My only real criticisms are that the choice of English translation words for the subtitles is sub par, even by normal standards. Also, the subtitling is little to small, blends into the movie too often and frequently travels too fast to read well.
... View MoreMany people are understandably afraid to watch foreign comedies in fear that they will miss the humor, that the subtle cultural aspects that develop a comedy will be lost on them. But one doesn't have to worry about such a thing with the Chinese Feast because it's style transcends cultural boundaries. Okay, i'll put it simply, it's funny, and it's fun, and in a way anyone can understand. I walked away feeling good, feeling happy, and not feeling like i had been treated to a cheese feast like some light comedies. I have seen other examples of comedy from the Asian countries, and maybe i just didn't get the subtle cultural jokes along with the others, but i saw the comedy was very accessible beyond national boundaries. I was also surprised to see a comedy from Tsui Hark after being introduced to him through his much more tragic and pessimistic Green Snake. As for Hark, he gives a fluid and lyrical direction along with a sense of timing which helps make this movie. And if you don't care about any of this, at least watch it for the very attractive Leslie Chueng.
... View MoreHow is bear´s paw, elephant´s trunk or monkey´s brain for dinner? Let Tsui Hark tell you in this wonderful and lighthearted comedy about the art of cooking the traditional(?) Chinese way.This movie shares the common structure of an American sports movie, but instead of focusing on baseball it centers around cooking which makes it all the more interesting. I even think Leslie Cheung´s character look a lot like Charlie Sheen in Major League...This movie also contains a bit of Zhao Wen Zhao vs Xiong Xin Xin fighting (love seeing more of that after The Blade) and a quite funny in-joke concerning a Leon Lai pop song...Perhaps not the ideal movie for the strict vegetarian though.
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