Opening Day: 10 January 2008

Synopsis:

Based on a very popular Manga series with the same title which began in 2002 (more than 500,000 copies sold), Le Grand Chef tells an action packed story of two young chefs competing in a cooking contest. The reward is a cooking knife with a very prestigious and significant history attached to it. Brimming with thrilling set pieces, broad humor, mouth-watering food and a skillful interweaving of heartfelt back stories, the delectable Le Grand Chef was screened to a standing ovation at the recent 2007 Pusan Film Festival.

Movie Review:

It’s always fascinating to watch movies about food. Ang Lee’s Eat Drink Man Woman (1994) showed us a splendid spread of Chinese gourmet. Katsuyuki Motohiro’s Udon (2006) made the Japanese noodles everyone loves look extra delicious on screen. Brad Bird’s Ratatouille (2007) introduced us to Paris’s fine French cuisine. So when a movie that promises a spread of lots mouth-watering Korean food, how can any self-proclaimed foodie in Singapore bear to miss it?

The movie tells the story of two chefs (when one is more good-looking than the other, you know which one is the good guy immediately) who are competing in a cookery tournament to win the title of the “Le Grand Chef”. We are guessing the prize (a rusty chopper) probably isn’t worth a lot, but the grand title, together with upholding the family’s honor (doesn’t it always happen in Asian movies?) is the stuff the two men are after.

Earnest-looking Kim Kang-wo plays the good guy who goes through round after round of concocting delectable dishes from ingredients like fish and beef. The competition also requires the contestants to carve beef and make charcoal – and you think being a chef is easy? Kim makes his way through obstacles with the help of his hometown friends and a somewhat pesky reporter played by Lee Ha-na. And don’t tell us you don’t know who the winner is the moment this 113-minute begins.

Competition comes in the form of a slimy chef played by Im Won-hee, whom audiences will love to hate. His dim-witted ramen-loving sidekick will probably draw some chuckles from viewers too. Their personalities are not exactly the most exciting sorts, because every action they take are easily predictable. It doesn’t take a smart person to know what these one-dimensionally-written characters are up to.

Besides these caricatured characters, the real stars are probably the colorfully-created dishes that are showcased during the tournament scenes. The finely-decorated and displayed dishes are not only a feast to the eyes; they almost look within reach to be popped into your mouth. The innovative spilt screen and comic strip-styled editing also make the spread look invitingly delicious.

Credit for the movie does not only belong to the food. There are side plots involving a convicted charcoal maker, a soon-to-be-butchered cow and a grandfather’s strange tempers, which are weaved nicely into the main plot. Although they aren’t the most novel storylines, they shine in their own heartwarming ways, and outdo the main plot in terms of effectiveness. These little stories act like fresh snacks between overly bloating dishes.

Movie Rating:

(A simple and agreeable Korean movie which will please the foodie in you)

Review by John Li