Eat Drink Man Woman

No doubt the success of his Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon helped speed up the DVD premiere of Ang Lee's 1994 sumptuous feast for the senses, a savory slice of life that offers the spiciest blend of food and sex since Tampopo. While the disc contains no extras beyond a brief interview with the director, the film is a satisfying meal in itself. Sihung Lung stars as a master chef who is beginning to lose his sense of taste. Like Fiddler on the Roof's Tevye, he lives uneasily with his three daughters: a spinster school teacher, an ambitious airline executive, and his youngest, a hopeless romantic. Family ties and tradition are strained as one by one they find reasons to declare their independence. Nominated for Best Foreign Film, this film's universal appeal spawned the recent (inferior) remake Tortilla Soup, which transplanted the story to a Mexican-American home. Sporting a solid Dolby Digital stereo soundtrack and a very nice transfer, this is highly recommended. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD/Blu-ray Review—Mar. 10, 2015—Olive, 124 min., not rated, DVD: $19.95, Blu-ray: $29.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1994's Eat Drink Man Woman features a fine transfer but no extras. Bottom line: a beloved foreign foodie classic sparkles on Blu-ray.]