Should anyone walk into this film, thinking it might be a nice cooking show, even with a touch of Asian comedy, beware…  That’s how it starts: an oddball, goofily dressed middle-aged woman (Bai Ling) does the shopping and then cooks dumplings for which she has a great reputation.  Even a retired glamorous actress comes to her home to eat these dumplings.  So far, so good.

I am not sure at what stage one realises that the dumplings are a means for rejuvenating complexion and skin – and that our cook is in her mid-60s (a solid advertisement for her wares).  It means then that the film is targeting wealthy Chinese (and others) who have too much money, too much time and too little sense and self-esteem that they will devote all their energies to looking young again. The actress is having a hard time as her husband is a notorious philanderer.

But, that is not the worst part.  It is the contents of the dumplings.

The film becomes a very dark satire when we discover that the special contents of the dumplings are actually human foetuses.  This means that the characters act vilely, completely amoral, completely self-absorbed.  And their behaviour gets no better.  The cook seduces the husband and the actress devotes herself entirely to the dumplings.

It is appropriate to say that the film is often hard to stomach.  But, the intention of the director is to highlight this 21st century self-centredness, this worst of new age toying with potions and remedies and the inability to accept ageing and its consequences.  This is satire and satirists often seem to be angry perfectionists who are so disgusted with human behaviour that they immerse their audiences in the ugliness to make their points.  Not an easy or a pleasant experience.

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