Best cooking/food themed movies?

[ATreeGrowsinBrooklyn]

Best cooking/food themed movies? My favorite food/cooking themed movies are Tampopo and Big Night. I've even used them as inspiration for dinner parties.

[Sra. Swanky]

Hmmm...I know there was a thread on this a while back. My personal faves are: Like Water for Chocolate, Big Night, Chocolat, even Goodfellas (despite the mafioso violence!)had food as a major theme in it! Henry Hill was quite the chef!

[ArtemisNYC]

My all-time favorite is Like Water for Chocolate. That movie (and the novel) is just all-around wonderful.

Speaking of food-related movies, has anyone heard of the Tampopo remake that's coming out soon? I think it's called The Ramen Girl... I'm kinda curious about it.

[inuksuk]

Babette's Feast. http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/11739.htm Somehow it's the most intellectual and still the most soulful food movie.

[adventuresinbaking]

Ditto!

[JungMann]

Definitely one of my favorites.

[masala maci]

I think there is a recent thread about this. Eat Drink Man Woman, Like Water for Chocolate, and Big Night are my favorites. Also the recent movie Waitress, atlhough not a great movie, had great pie making scenes. I'll have to put Tampopo on my Netflix list.

[bulavinaka]

Wow - if you haven't seen Tampopo yet, you're in for a great see. After reflecting back on the movie, I'd swear that this movie was written, produced, and directed by Mr. Leff himself... it has alot of biting commentary on Japanese society spliced into it (director Juzo Itami was famous for this in all of his movies), but what it boils down to is it's all about the food...

[socalqtpi]

I really enjoyed "Mostly Martha" (a German film with subtitles...it's NOT about Martha Stewart), "Kitchen Stories" (a Swedish film with subtitles is also cute/amusing) and Chocolat.

[brendastarlet]

"Mostly Martha" has been remade as "No Reservations" with Catherine Zeta-Jones. It looks like it will be awful.

It's not a food movie, per se, but I have always loved the scene in Heartburn where Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson eat Spaghetti Carbonara after the first time they have sex.

[xena]

I really enjoyed Kitchen Stories (and Mostly Martha and Chocolat, too!) but found it bittersweet.

There's a brief scene in Monsieur Ibrahim where outdoor vendors in Turkey are selling their food to the bustling crowd. It happens quickly so it's sort of a tease but really made me want some and to see more. Not a food-themed movie but that sure got my attention. Loved how M Ibrahim taught Momo to stretch the family food budget, too. ;)

[cor]

LOVE Like Water for Chocolate. Never seen the movie, but the book is fabulous.

[Chuckles the Clone]

#1 . God of Cookery:
http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/god_of_cookery.htm

#2 . The Cook the Thief His Wife Her Lover:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0097108/plotsummary

#3 . What's Up, Tiger Lilly:
http://www.amazon.com/Whats-Tiger-Lil...

[ScottGGH]

I'm a fan of a martial arts comedy cooking movie from Hong Kong filmmaker Tsui Hark called The Chinese Feast.

http://www.kfccinema.com/reviews/come...

Tortilla Soup is also nice.

[soupkitten]

the kung-fu noodle cooking scene from "iron monkey" jumped to mind, seeing your post

[ScottGGH]

Another visually luxuriant food movie about putting on a huge banquet is Vatel, starring Gerard Depardieu. It concerns putting on a three day royal French celebration in the 17th Century.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0190861/

[littlegreenpea]

Watching this tonight... can't wait.

[gutterman]

How about tortilla soup? they move may be a little light in the plot department but the food photography, and the food were amazing!
if I remember Mary Sue Miliken and Susan Fenniger (pardon my spelling) did the food.

gutterman

[MplsM ary]

Here's the longest and most recent thread I found (though it started in 2005!): http://www.chowhound.com/topics/302328

[JBM]

Here's one I didn't see mentioned yet: Dinner Rush. Came out in 2000. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0229340/ The kitchen scenes are pretty great.

[SonyBob]

I loved Dinner Rush. Also the above mentioned Trotilla Soup which, as I recall, was an Americanized Eat Drink Man Woman.
Bob

[hannaone]

Two great Korean shows

My Loveley Sam Soon
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/My_Name_is_Kim_Sam-Soon
Dae Jang Geum
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dae_Jang...

[ArikaDawn]

I would have to say Big Night is definitely my favorite food themed movie though I adored Chcocolat. I am unabashedly looking forward to seeing both Ratatouile and No Reservations both coming out in the next month or so.
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809418557/info
http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808490...

[melly]

Again with this topic? Ah well, it's still a good topic. I can't find Tampopo and Netflix doesn't have the damned thing.

[bubbles4me]

A friend told me about this movie so I was looking for it every where! The only place I found it was Amazon two versions one of $20 and one for $80, I did get the lesser and it was alot of fun.
Two other great food movies;
Soulfood
I think the other was called, Whats for Dinner or something like that. I was a movie about multi cultural relationships. Four families all making Thanksgiving dinner, loved the food scenes.

[bulavinaka]

There's usually copies of Tampopo available in the "Foreign" movie section at the local brick&mortar Blockbusters... if they're still around in your neighborhood...

[xena]

I got it through inter-library loan. Ours didn't have it but another one did. Might be worth a try.

[Chuckles the Clone]

>> I can't find Tampopo and Netflix doesn't have the damned thing.

Yes they do:
http://www.netflix.com/Movie/1025140?...

[ArikaDawn]

No, that just gives you the option to save it to your queue as an unreleased/unavailable movie. You cannot currently get it from Netflix.

[melly]

I have it saved ...but they don't have it.

[PhoebeB]

I'm so smitten with your username I can't move on to your question. That lovely book and movie are in my (long) lifetime's top three.

[Tubili]

What a great bunch of responses. My list: East Drink, Big Night & Tampopo. However, I feel this should be added for effect as well THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER

[ccorredor]

I am surprised to not find La Grande Bouffe mentioned in this thread. Marcello Mastroianni, Philippe Noiret, Ugo Tognazzi (La Cage aux Folles).

It is a classic and should be available somewhere. Also fun, hearing Mastroianni speaking French.

[AnnVL]

The very beginning of Eat Drink Man Woman - nearly makes me INSANE - I'm in heaven watching him cook - such a turn on... 'scuse me. ;)

[David Latt]

Babette's Feast is great. La Grande Bouffe is kind of disgusting, as is Delicatessen. Although it doesn't show cooking, Bunuel's The Discrete Charm of the Bourgeoise has a running gag about the guests wanting to eat their chicken dinner..which they never get to do.

[tastelessfruit]

i've seen a new one well worth mentioning:
"Vatel" is a French period film with Depardieu as the title character, a master steward under the crown of King Louis XIV whose job it is to put on feasts and spectacles for the pleasures of royalty. Typical of director Joffe, the film peers deep into the character of Vatel, around whom swirl politicking and wickedness, with such depth and dimension as to make the plot of secondary importance. Replete with sumptuous sets, elegant costuming, and epicurean delights, the film fills the eye and whets the palate as few films can while it paints a portrait of a sensitive and honorable man who makes the supreme sacrifice for dignity.

A superb watch for those into period films painted with delicate brush strokes and subtle nuances.

[Avalondaughter]

Soul Food- particularly the final scene.

[sasha1]

I recently saw a documentary on a family run neighborhood diner on Netflix online. It's called I like Killing Flies. It's not about gourmet cooking by any means, and you may not be drooling over the food they serve. But the guy has a lot of soul, and some interesting philosophical notions. Oh, and expletives. Don't watch it with your young children.

[annabana]

whether coincidence or not, several Tracy/Hepburn movies have notable food scenes: the "Adam's Rib" lamb curry in the kitchen; breakfast rapprochment in "Woman of the Year" and the dictatorial lunch in "Pat and Mike." And though its not a great movie (more like the Doris Day comedies) "Last Vacation" with Queen Latifah as an aspiring chef who thinks she's dying has some delicious food scenes and the even more delicious Depardieu. Tho' not specifically about food, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and "Dinner at Eight" are two of my faves.

[msmarabini]

Supersize Me by Morgan Spurlock

[Gio]

My Dinner with Andre
Tortilla Soup
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
When Harry Met Sally
Wedding Banquet....

Sweeney Todd! :-)

[Antilope]

The worst, most disgusting (and funniest) food related scene in a movie:

Mr Creosote having dinner in Monty Python's The Meaning of Life.

Warning! Strong content! You have been warned.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlK62r...