top_10_food

Counting Down the Top 10 Food Films

Food has the ability to nourish, fatten, empower, and poison. So do films about food.

A “food film” can be readily defined as a feature-length motion-picture that revolves around food. A film that discusses or features a mild food reference is not a “food film.” For instance, just because Goodfellas contains an Italian-style meal, The Silence of the Lambs deals with cannibalism, and Pulp Fiction mentions a royale with cheese does not make them “food films.” Simply put, the plot of a “food film” showcases sustenance and its effects.

Presented in reverse chronological order (to maintain suspense in scrolling) are my Top 10 Food Films.

10. My Dinner with Andre

My Dinner with Andre depicts two men conversing over potato soup, French pâté, roasted quail, salad, and espresso respectively. Even if the film doesn’t exactly nourish your cinematic stomach in every way, shape, and form, it does provide your mind with an ample supply of nutrients.

9. Super Size Me

To prove that fast food is the driving cause of Americans’ growing girth, first-time writer/director/producer Morgan Spurlock attempts a 30-day McDonald’s binge (or as one doctor calls it a “Mac Attack”). His conclusions – concerning the overall declining health of our nation and the impact that a corrupt and immoral food industry poses – are both informative and captivating.

8. Ratatouille

There is something taboo about placing rats in the kitchen; they’re dirty, and their scampering little bodies are a red flag against a clean, white cooking sanctuary. Nonetheless, writer/director Brad Bird tackles the task of transforming the forbidden rodent law into something sweet, soft, cuddly, and delicious.

7. Diner

Diner skillfully depicts a succinct link between six friends’ love for gravy fries, cherry-cola, and each other. It champions conversation and promotes personal growth--all while its characters sit in a '50's steel-and-vinyl booth.

6. Eat Drink Man Woman

By gracefully and colorfully blending the enriching traditions of food with the love and nostalgia of the father-daughter bond, Director Ang Lee makes Eat Drink Man Woman a universally heartfelt and harmonious drama. It is mellow, moving, and visually stunning.

5. Like Water for Chocolate

The combination of suppressed romance and recurring food metaphors elevate this foreign affair to the level of eroticism, enchantment, and extravagance. For a voluptuously delicious cinematic comida, Like Water for Chocolate is sure to spike your senses.

4. Tampopo

Akin to a steaming bowl of noodle soup, Tampopo is satisfying, enriching, and...hilarious! It is truly a cinematic and comedic delicacy for any food and/or film fan.

3. Big Night

With a pinch of poignancy and a dollop of comedy, Big Night is the perfect recipe for a warm, endearing evening filled with laughs, smiles, and feelings of satisfaction.

2. Babette's Feast

Babette’s Feast is a beautiful reminder of how bountiful the banquet of life can truly be. It is a picture that promotes peace and tolerance and trumpets the importance of overcoming self-doubts, displaying God-given talents, and uniting a community in meal, song, and praise. With the capacity to both make your tastebuds dance and fill your heart with hope, Babette’s Feast is guaranteed to satisfy.

1. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover

The significant difference that sets CTWL apart from all else is that it depicts dining in the most nightmarish of ways. CTWL will warp your image of eating and establish a limit on what you can stomach. It’s perverse, twisted, erotic, and titillating.