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(reviewed on 12/10/04)

餃子 三更2之一 (Three... Extremes: Dumplings)
year: 2004
country: Hong Kong
directed by: 陳果 (Fruit Chan)

'Dumplings' is the extended cut of one of the three short films in 'Three... Extremes', following the 3-film anthology 'Three' (2002). The last outing was a critical acclaim, so it's easy to envision a sequel anyway.

As the Hong Kong representative of this Asian horror series, 'Dumplings' features an all-star cast and crew from the local industry: from the independent-turned-commercial director Fruit Chan and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, among others. The most striking attraction of the film is inevitably the star of the film, Miriam Yeung, who is rarely (if ever) seen in a role that doesn't require her to burst into laughter. Not long before its release, this film is rated Category III by the censorship department of Hong Kong (equivalent to the NC-17 rating in the States). So here you have Miriam Yeung in a Category III movie about cannibalism! What more can you look for!?

This film is billed as a 'horror movie', but for all those who look for a real scare here please take note: this movie is just not at all scary, sorry. The plot is straightforward: in order to win back the heart of her cheating husband (Tony Leung Ka Fai), an aging woman (Miriam Yeung!) seeks help from the mysterious Aunt Mei (Bai Ling), taking her secret recipe (which is made from aborted human fetuses) to look young again. It sounds like an interesting plot and seems to promise so much; but what I've told you in the last sentence is basically all that you can get.

Honestly, 'Dumplings' is a bore through and through, made up by piecing several uninteresting plotlines together. To say how terrible this story is would require some spoilers - whether the spoilers would interfere with your viewing experience of this plain bad movie is another matter. In the film, there are several sequences that seem to be leading the audience to something scary or, at least, entertaining: say, we may have some expectations after seeing that the skin of Miriam's character starts to smell fishy, or that the schoolgirl who's undergone abortion dies on the road, or that Miriam's character discovers what she's eaten is the product of incest, etc. Very well, the build-up process is already all; the overall plot structure is just heading nowhere! I wouldn't mind to endure the film's many stagnant long sequences if it's more stylish or entertaining or meaningful, but these silent sequences, which are supposedly placed in a horror film to create eerie atmosphere, are simply pointless.

The weakness of this film has its root from its plot (which in turn is a novel adaptation) and is painfully amplified by many units of its production team. It's a huge let-down by the ever creative director Fruit Chan, since I've seen most of his independent films and have grown to like almost everyone of them. What buries his unique talent in this commercial film may just be the big budget he's got to 'deal with'. I sincerely look forward to his next independent film, hopefully the last episode of his 'Prostitute' trilogy, which has the working title of '三夫'. Just forget about 'Dumplings', you won't get any younger by seeing this.

rating: 3/10