Three...Extremes: Dumplings - The "Extreme" Review
Ok, so this isn't really an "extreme" review but it sounded pretty funny, like something the Toronto Sun would write. Ever since seeing the trailer for Chan Wook Park's "Cut" I've been dying to see this film, and just the thought of him and Takashi Miike ("Box") as well sent me into a dizzy spin of glee. The only part of this project I was in the dark about was Fruit Chan's "Dumplings" until a while ago, when Todd told me the story line as we were waiting in line for our table at the Spag which lit my eyes up (and led the hostess, I'm sure, to believe I was given her the lovin' eye - I was). "Dumplings" is a shocking and at times subtle thriller involving human desire. The desire for beauty, the desire for love and the "extremes" people will go to fulfill them.
As a forward - growing up I had to share a room with my brother who was 4 years older than me and had a huge horror movie fascination. So between nightmares caused nightly from the entire room being covered by Fangoria pictures and "Puppet Master" dolls (anyone remeber that movie? not the Donald Sutherland one, though) I was forced to watch horror movies at a very young age (which I appreciate now - thanks Ryan) and my favorites always were the "Tales from the Darkside", "Tales From the Crypt" and "Creepshow" sagas where you'd get three or four movies in one sitting. My favourites were the ones with Ted Danson when he was caught having an affair, buried to his head on a beach by the husband, videotaped, and then comes back and kills the husband ("Something to Tide You Over") or the Christian Slater one with the Mummy (Lot 249). Come on, I was like 10 years old. This is why I was looking forward to this film so much - bringing out the 10 year old in me again. Anyways....Three Extremes: Dumplings review right...
A retired tv star with slowly aging looks and a cheating husband looks to change herself from the outside in order to reclaim him from the hands of the young girls he surrounds himself with. Arriving at Aunt Mei's dumpling shop, Mrs. Lee begins her quest for beauty and her husband's returned love and affection with the special dumplings steamed perfectly and consisting of aborted fetuses. After getting through the first "tasting" and subsequently more visits - Mrs. Lee becomes impatient for the results and seeks a more potent recipe. Along comes an incestuous 5 month old fetus of a 15 year old and with its consumption the attention and affection of Mrs. Lee's husband returns. But after the 15 year old girl dies, Mrs. Lee starts to experience unusual side effects, and when her husband learns of her secret his curiosity and affection is lead to Aunt Mei.
Being a short film I wasn't expecting anything too earth shattering but "Dumplings" is a really solid film with eeriely dark, desperate and sexual performances from it's three main actors. The facial expressions of Miriam Yeung as Mrs. Lee (who, after watching the Making Of I found out is huge singing, film and stage star in Hong Kong - so this was her "dark cross-over respect" role) during her feastings change from disgusted and intent to eased and enjoyed over the period of the film and involve you in the process as much as it does her. A great actor is nothing without the director and I was seriously impressed with Chan's ideas and storytelling. This was his first attempt at a thriller/horror and it seems to me that he is able to stand on his own with Park and Miike here. Oh, and I'm going to name drop here - Christopher Doyle. Yes him. He did the D.O.P role on the film and it's, ahhhh.....classic. Anything this man touches turns to gold, it seems, and this is no different as "Dumplings" is a beautifully shot film with cinematography most dramatic films only aspire to have.
Sure, there's some tense and/or eye covering scenes - the chopping, cooking and eating of aborted fetuses for one. Or the sights and sounds of the abortion being performed on the 15 year old girl. I can't even stand the idea of people filming the birth of their children so this was just....yeah. It's a horror movie, too, let's not forget, and it gives the audience as realistic feel for the film's content as it possibly can. There is even a scene where the eating of aborted fetuses becomes a sexually arousing experience thanks to the craftsmanship of Christopher Doyle and grand acting. The score creates the environment and mood throughout the film switching between an air of happiness and fulfilment to despair without causing a break in the attention or engagement of its viewers.
I was surprised at how impressed I was with this film (and I had high expectations), and from Todd's words - this supposedly being the tamest of the 3 films involved in "Three...Extremes"- then damn, I'm pins and needles here in expectations for "Cuts" and "Box". As a beginning though, "Dumplings" was a great "first tasting". hahaha! Get it. Tasting. Yup. Until then go rent 1982's "Creepshow" and help out my old friend Ted.
**** Editor's Note ****
In case you've missed our rampant hyping of the film it is available here. And, yes, this is the extended 90 minute version of it rather than the shorter cut which appears as part of the Three anthology.
