Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
Director: Ang Lee

It was a the second Ang Lee movie in succession; and it didn’t disappoint me one wee bit. Chinese/Taiwanese family living in Taipei and their brush with modernity has been so well captured. And the elaborate cooking rituals have been a delight. As you might have guessed, there is a lot of storytelling that happens through the food/cooking. There is a point where, one of the family member says, a lot of families talk, but for us it is through food (or something to that effect). Also, my memories are in my nose.

The story has an unexpected twist towards the climax, and it was a great movie to watch.

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Director: Ang Lee

I have great respect for Ang Lee as a director and his works. I was spell bound with Sense and Sensibility and then the saga continued. His versatility is incredible. The Wedding Banquet, draws a lot of parallel to plots from Bollywood movies; however the subtle treatment of the subject is remarkable. It is also my first in depth insight to Chinese/Taiwanese culture and its blend with modernity.

There was a lot of humor in the movie, which I guess made it popular as mainstream.