Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21928 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-07-24
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Anamorphic, PAL
• Original language: Mandarin Chinese, Cantonese Chinese
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 91 minutes

Synopsis
A former TV star and now wife of a prominent businessman desperate to keep her looks learns of a mysterious chef whose dumplings are said to make women appear more youthful. But what is the secret ingredient in the dumplings and at what cost has it been devised? Miriam Yeung Chin-Wah puts in a fantastic performance as the vain and fearful Ching, scared of growing old and unattractive now that she has married a rich businessman. The superb cinematography by regular Wong Kar Wai collaborator Christopher Doyle (INFERNAL AFFAIRS, THE QUIET AMERICAN) adds a slick edge to the film that has a grim, disturbing subject matter. Expanding on the short film also entitled DUMPLINGS that comprised a section of THREE…EXTREMES, the acclaimed Hong Kong director Fruit Chan has made a stylish and sinister film that takes a look at society’s obsession with youth and the morality and vanity of one woman as she attempts to regain her youth and physical beauty. Chan further cements his reputation as a leading light in Asian cinema with a subtle and restrained film that also manages to be highly disturbing and thought-provoking.

Customer Reviews

Slerp, crunch, cringe.
this film is great. i saw first it as part of 'three extremes', a collection of three short asian films featured together at cannes. this is the full length version. a wonderfully original chinese movie. not quite a horror and not quite a thriller, dumplings tells the macabre story of an insecure housewife and aunt mai's dumplings, with their mystery youth giving ingredient.
definately worth a viewing for fans of more interesting j-horror/thrillers.

How far are you willing to go to keep your looks from fading away?
I absolutely loved this film, as other reviewers have said it is not your typical Asian horror, but the way in which it is presented as though it were "real life" makes it horror some enough, and because it is "believable", what's to say that the events in this film could not actually happen? I'm not suggesting that they are, i am simply saying that they "could" happen, unlike a scary monster horror, that's what gets you thinking.
there is one what you might call "Gorey" scene, depending on your personal views, which will hold your attention to the screen as it is very realistic and absolutely shocking for why it is there and what is going to come from it.
i can't really say much more without spoiling it as that is one of the main scenes in the movie that demonstrates just how far this women will go to preserve her looks.
along side this we get to see why she so desperately wants to be young again as we are given glimpses of her personal life also which depict her unhappy relationship with her cheating husband, who keeps it no secret what he is doing.
However, it is not long before he realizes that his wife is up to something and begins to investigate for himself...

overall i would highly recommend this film to any fan of Asian cinema, it is slow and moody, shocking and fun to watch! I would only warn people who have a problem with abortion to perhaps stay clear, other than that this is an original, well paced and well-written psychological thriller well worth the ride!

Delicious
Bai Ling is tremendous as sexy but cold abortionist/dumpling-making vampire with a nice bottom.

It's actually quite watchable as a satire on vanity and selfishness. My wife, who doesn't like horror movies, loved it and was caught up in the relationships of the characters. As other reviewers will note, it looks and sounds beautiful.

Not much else on the DVD except an English interview with the star, showing she's truly Bai Ling-gual.