Jiao zi (2004)

In Hong Kong, Aunt Mei is a cook famous for her home-made rejuvenation dumplings, based on a millenarian recipe prepared with a mysterious ingredient that she brings directly from China. ... See full summary »

Director:

Fruit Chan

Writer:

Pik Wah Lee (as Lillian Lee)

Stars:

Pauline Lau, Tony Ka Fai Leung, Bai Ling

2 wins.

Cast

Credited cast:
Pauline Lau	...	Masseuse
Tony Ka Fai Leung	...	Mr. Li (as Tony Ka-Fai Leung)
Bai Ling	...	Mei, the cook
Meme Tian	...	Connie (as Meme)
So-Fun Wong	...	Kate's mother
Miki Yeung	...	Kate
Miriam Chin Wah Yeung	...	Mrs. Li

Storyline

In Hong Kong, Aunt Mei is a cook famous for her home-made rejuvenation dumplings, based on a millenarian recipe prepared with a mysterious ingredient that she brings directly from China. The former TV star Mrs. Li visits Mei aiming her dumplings to recover her youth and become attractive again to her wolf husband Mr. Li. Along the sessions, Mei tells Mrs. Li that she was a gynecologist in China with more than 30,000 abortions along ten years. When Mrs. Li requests an acceleration of the process, the opportunity comes when a fifteen years old teenager with a five months incestuous pregnancy comes with her mother and asks Mei to make an abortion.

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Plot Keywords:

dumpling | rejuvenation | abortion | neglected wife | hong kong | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Germany]

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin Cantonese

Release Date:

19 August 2004 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Dumplings

Company Credits

Production Co:

Applaus Pictures Limited, Applause Pictures, Fortissimo Film Sales

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Spawned from the short Dumplings from the Asian cross-cultural trilogy Three... Extremes (2004). Includes the same director and star.

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Connections

Edited from Saam gaang yi (2004)

User Reviews

Got any special stuff?

Not so much a horror as horrific. With youthful properties gained from apparently eating dumplings containing special stuff, I won't give away the twist that happens in the films opening sequence, this is a visceral ride through this sordid Hong Kong tale. With cinematography by Christopher Doyle who did last life in the universe and 2046, it looks amazing, the crazy colours and dazzling visuals are offset by disturbing ideas and gross out scenes. What follows is a story of the length people will go to in pursuit of vanity. Well acted, well paced and always unnerving you are never sure where the film is going to go from the start to the madness of the final chop ending. Fans of the twisted and people used to the bizarreness of Asian extreme films will really be swept along in the story and all the disgusting close-ups that add to the horror. Adding also is the crispy clear sound that has such attention to detail that the slightest noise even one as banal as a clock suddenly takes on an eerie feel. Overall a brilliantly played out film but one for those with a strong stomach.