1. Eat Drink Man Woman (1994, Taiwan) - Order a meal from your favourite Chinese takeaway before you sit down to watch this classic, you’ll start feeling hungry within minutes! Directed by Ang Lee, this is possibly the best food movie of all times, following the life of widowed chef Chu and his three adult daughters. As his daughters forge new relationships, Chu uses his brilliant culinary skills to show his love and try and keep his family together. When you see actor Sihung Lung dicing and slicing away in the kitchen, it’s hard to believe he isn’t a trained chef.
2. Big Night (1996, USA) - This indie flick has long been a favourite of film critics and food lovers alike. Tony Shalhoub and Stanley Tucci star in this touching and comic gem about two immigrant Italian brothers trying to run a restaurant in 1950’s America. Primo (Shalhoub) is the brilliant, perfectionist chef trying to introduce savage Americans to true Italian cooking while Secondo (Tucci) is the manager running the business end and trying to keep it afloat. It’s not easy when customers want to know why the lovingly cooked risotto doesn’t come with spaghetti on the side!
3. Julie and Julia (2009, USA) - Any film on culinary legend Julia Child definitely takes food seriously. High powered stars Meryl Streep (as the iconic chef) and Amy Adams (as the blogger Julie Powell who’s trying to follow in her footsteps) are upstaged by the delicacies that their characters whip up onscreen. It’s based on the true story of how Julie Powell spent a year cooking her way through Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking; cooking up 524 recipes in 365 days. And a lot of it features in the film. You might even run out to buy a copy of the seminal cookbook to try some of those decadent dishes!
4. Tampopo (1985, Japan) - This รข€˜noodle western’ has been described variously as an “ode to sensual pleasure” and as “zen and the art of noodle making”. The story revolves around a young widow Tampopo who’s struggling to run her little noodle shack. Unfortunately she can’t cook to save her life but she finds help from a trucker named Goro, who stays on to help her perfect her ramen making skills. While Tampopo learns more about the perfect ramen, there are several sexy and hilarious side-plots involving assorted odd-ball characters. This is a movie that celebrates the sensuality of eating as much as that of cooking!
5. No Reservations (2007, USA) - This light hearted rom-com starring Catherine Zeta Jones and Aaron Eckhart is an enjoyable watch, as much for the chemistry between the lead pair as the delicious meals being created. Kate (Zeta Jones) is a control-freak master chef whose regimented life turns upside down when her sister is killed in a car accident and her young niece comes to live with her. When Nick (Eckhart) an exuberant, opera-loving sous-chef joins the restaurant, Kate sees him as a rival trying to take over her kitchen and battle lines are drawn. While Kate and Nick spar over whether French or Italian cuisine is superior, you can salivate over the luscious creations they whip up to outdo each other.
Can you think of any more films that celebrate food? Leave your suggestions below!
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