The blurb on the DVD case tossed together the words "food," two women, thriller and so on....a
Korean film named "301/302," by Chul-Soo Park. We perused the blurb, noted the grim faces of the stars, and decided that this could well be a foodie thriller, and therefore worth having a look at.
Well. The moody shots of high tech, high end Korean apartment interiors were elegant, the flashbacks a bit daunting but acceptable, and when ringing phones ignored by one main character began to feature, hey--is this a French film? All it needed was a car scene in the rain with a tight and very lengthy shot of the windshield wipers.
But no,back to the food--it was gorgeously Korean--brightly colored, made from squeakingly fresh ingredients--the "loach" or what looked like eels, had just emerged from the water until our heroine, the crazed cook, tosses them into a bowl and adds a handful of salt. The other main character is her neighbor, across the hall, an anorexic with a painful past.
Suffice it to say that the crazed cook, newly divorced and struggling with her weight, attempts to entice her standoffish loach-thin neighbor with dishes. Big trouble ensues.
A detective comes around when the anorexic disappears......
Look for long shot of dead canines in a market.......( duh... foreshadowing) Adorable Fluffy the dog plays a pivotal role in the film.
Remember the musical, "Sweeny Todd?"
Yes, this is a foodie thriller indeed. Bon appetit.
Tell us about any other foodie films you know of in this category, please.
1978 - Who is killing the Great Chiefs of Europe? Robert Morley staring, mesmorized, at duck blood running out of a salmis press, is unforgettable.
Posted by: J | February 27, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Also, "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and her Lover." A Peter Greenaway film.
Posted by: Kay | June 19, 2005 at 01:26 AM
The Wedding Banquet,-Funny and, Pieces of April which I really enjoyed
Posted by: Sue | March 20, 2005 at 12:49 PM
Here are some movies in which food figures prominently: "Babette's Feast," "Tampopo," "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman," "Scent of a Green Papaya"...that's all I can think of right now. Oh, "Fried Green Tomatoes"...
Posted by: Kay Hwangbo | February 20, 2005 at 11:21 PM
I'm sorry, I think I'll have to pass on the eel film. I remember eating at a Korean restaurant with a bunch of friends. Shelby was telling us about her new litter of puppies. I saw the server looking over. "Shh," I told Shelby, but she didn't understand why I was shushing her. Then the server came by to deliver our soup, and said, "You say you have puppies?" "Yes!" said Shelby, thinking she might have a sale. "They're sold," I said, but Shelby was from the south, and a bit slow to catch on. "Can I come see puppy?" asked the server. I kicked Shelby, and told the server, "They had rabies and had to be put down." Shelby gave me a funny look, but thankfully shut up, or else our next meal at the restaurant might have been Bul Gogi Pup.
Foodie movies? Let me think...Eating Raoul? What's Eating Gilbert Grape? The Grapes of Wrath? Like Water for Chocolate? (Although chocolate isn't technically "food". It's more like Heaven on a Stick.)
Speaking of food, I'm making Peanut Butter on Toast. Now THAT would be a great movie title!
Posted by: Kathy | January 24, 2005 at 03:05 AM