Magic Kitchen
From hkadb.net
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Introduction
The 2004 entry: Magic Kitchen, produced by those ultra-commercial mavens at Media Asia, and directed by long-lost Lost and Found director Lee Chi-Ngai. The film boasts an eclectic supporting cast, including Maggie Q, Nicola Cheung, Stephen Fung, Daniel Wu, both the Beast Cops (Anthony Wong and Michael Wong), and usual Sammi Cheng co-star Andy Lau. However, the male lead is Jerry Yen of Taiwanese pop juggernaut F4, a curious choice given his obvious big-screen inexperience and lack of Cantonese fluency. But, when you consider the fact that Jerry Yen and Sammi Cheng are both spokespersons for Pepsi, it all suddenly makes sense.
Title
- Chinese: 魔幻厨房
- English: Magic Kitchen
Year
- 2003
Cast
- Sammi Cheng Sau-Man
- Jerry Yen (Yin Sing-Yuk)
- Andy Lau Tak-Wah
- Maggie Q
- Nicola Cheung Sun-Yu
- Michael Wong Mun-Tak
- Anthony Wong Chau-Sang
- Stephen Fung Tak-Lun
- Daniel Wu
- Sheila Chan Suk-Lan
- William So Wing-Hong
- Jacqueline Law Wai-Guen
- Lee Lik-Chee
- Vincent Kok Tak-Chiu
- Clarence Hui
- Michael Tong Man-Lung
- Teddy Lin Chun
- Law Kar-Ying
- Asuka Higuchi
Director
Lee Chi-Ngai
Producer
Lee Chi-Ngai, John Chong
Writer
Lee Chi-Ngai, Lam Wing-Sum (original novel)
Production
Media Asia
Genre
- Comedy
- Romance
Summary
Cheng is Yau Murong, a talented chef who runs a private kitchen for a select clientele. She never wanted to be a chef, but found the occupation thrust upon her when her mother (Sheila Chan in flashbacks) died, leaving her private kitchen behind. As a result, Yau now runs the place with her assistant Ho (Jerry Yen). Business is brisk, thanks to the regular clients and Yau's purported genius with the dishes she makes. However, unlike her mother, Yau has no passion for cooking, and is indeed averse to it. Her childhood is a jumbled assortment of memories all circling around her mother's love of cooking and the mysterious absence of her father, who Yau barely remembers.
Yau's life has another complication. There's a supposed family curse which prevents the women from ever getting it on with the right guy. The biggest illustration of this "curse" is Yau's ill-fated relationship with Chun Yao (Andy Lau). The two were once hot-and-heavy, but were never able to consummate their affair thanks to a variety of only-in-the-movies circumstances. Yau is still stuck on Chun Yao, which creates problems when Chun Yao shows up in her present, and attached to Yau's friend May (Maggie Q). Yau is also acutely aware that Ho has a huge crush on her. She recognizes that Ho's a great guy despite being three years her junior, but she's nervous about getting it on with him. Ho has no such compunctions, and dotes on Yau like your average lovestruck dope. He's also a budding chef, and wants Yau to compete in "King Chef", a Japanese "Iron Chef"-like TV-show. Yau doesn't want to compete because she fears she will not be able to come up with recipes on the fly.
