Food Movies...

There's something magical about watching the rituals and emotions surrounding food preparation immortalized on the big screen. The staccato drum roll of a knife dicing a spring onion and the metamorphic swirl of an egg in a frying pan are images that recur frequently in films ranging from love-stories to action pics, and always establish the sublime talents of the owner of those hands. Magical skill and connectedness to the fabric of the universe are implicit in acts of good cooking.

Even though most of the time cooking is not the focus of stories told in film, it is used a great deal for character development and the exposition of place. Once you see that the food in a place is shit, that place becomes difficult to trust. A person who cooks one thing really well has principles. Anyone who can make an omelet well must be good in bed. People who hate cooking might as well hate dogs. They're just not right. The mafia boss serving a life-sentence in jail for heinous crimes becomes more lovable despite ourselves when we see him using a shiv not to kill guards but to slice garlic in his cell.

The subject of food movies came up tonight over a bite with a friend who, apparently, had not seen Tampopo, which, in my mind, is a fairly essential bit of food-film, so here's a short list that I would recommend to anyone who loves food and cooking. There is a world of movies that casually mention food, but in these, food is the star:

Tampopo: perhaps the quintessential food movie, this 1985 comedy directed by Juzo Itami is an exuberant, joyful journey of cooking well, and, metaphorically, of doing well by being open, present, and focused. I suppose there's something very Buddhist in the light-hearted philosophizing that permeates the entire story-line. You can't cook well without opening yourself in a variety of ways and dedicating time and attention to seeing ingredients and processes beyond what you can learn from the experience of others. This movie does such a good job communicating that journey, that you'll never look at noodles the same way after seeing it. If you decide to watch a single food movie just to try it out, watch this one.

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman: This 1994 Taiwanese film, directed by Ang Lee, is the story of old Chu, a master chef who is widowed, and his three strong, unconventional daughters. The tension between tradition and desires is the central theme of the movie, and the ritualistic and opulent dinner Chu prepares for his daughters every Sunday is the centerpiece. It forces them to relate to each other and create something beautiful together regardless of how different their other priorities may become along the way. The camera in this movie loves to cook. The cinematography of food preparation both at Chu's home and at the behemoth restaurant where he works as head chef is so good that it bears watching many times over again. Marvel at the deft hands of Chu in this one.

Chef: This 2014 movie, directed by John Favreau, benefits from an upscale celebrity cast and some very fine cooking for foodies by foodies. It is a feel-good road-movie all the way, with a celebration of the regional cuisines of I-10. It starts constrained by an unpleasant set of social norms in LA, where we can't help but feel that a fall from grace is a positive reflection on the protagonist's character. Punted clear across the country by a predictable chain of events, our hero begins his journey of re-birth in Miami, where at least the music is good and  the grease flows happy and care-free. This one deserves special mention for being practically like a Glenn Miller Orchestra movie. It's very focused on showing the positive side of a personal journey, and treats everything surrounding food and cooking with unambiguous, patronizing adoration.

301/302: This 1995 Korean film directed by Park Chul-soo is a darker tale of justified crime and kindness in a grey world made brighter by food. It's a recurrent theme in Asian film, but 301/302 takes it a step further, perhaps. The height of 90's stylishness in cuisine-fashion, it still manages to beguile with the way a fish is sliced and a chicken fried. It's not a terribly philosophical film, but rather a kind of dark thriller with a lot of good food along the way. Watch it with a sense of humor and be ready to accept that it will work hard at shocking you.

Of course there are many, many more. I leave it here for now, to fulfill a promise of some recommendations.