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Review
by Kozo: |
This
wacky Lunar New Year-type comedy features a Chinese
Pacific Rim cast instead of a largely Hong Kong one.
The next generation of a trio of famous chefs (including
Kam Sze-Fun, Jordan Chan and Wu Chien-Lien) is reunited
to recreate a legendary banquet: the Victory Feast.
Together with the progeny of master chef Lee, they attempt
to discover the secret of the Four Happy Families dish,
which is the key dish to the entire feast. Also, they
save their restaurant. Isn't that always the case with
movies about Chinese food?
Four Chefs and a Feast doesn't have the human drama of Eat Drink Man Woman or the sheer pop entertainment of The Chinese Feast,
but it's a diverting ninety minutes. For HK Cinema fans,
Jordan Chan and Wu Chien-Lien are the two most recognizable
cast members, and they perform well. Kam Sze-Fun turns
in a likable performance, as does Lung Si-Hung (the
patriarch from most Ang Lee films), though he's strangely annoying at times.
Lung's character could
to be a symptom of the film, which lacks a sense of
cohesiveness. Sometimes it wanders aimlessly, relying
on the cast and Lee Kwok-Lap's direction to steer its
course. It works, for the most part; the awkward moments
are obvious but they slip by easily. This is far from
must-see, but you could do worse. (Kozo 1999) |
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