Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

Food isn't just a metaphor for love in Eat Drink Man Woman, Ang Lee's bighearted comedy about the conflicts of family ties and individual desires; food is also food, meant to be tasted, savored, and shared. And there's plenty of it, exquisitely cooked and presented in this generous story (set and shot in Taiwan) from the writer-director of The Wedding Banquet. Sihung Lung (Banquet) plays widowed master chef Mr. Chu, who is losing his sense of taste while his three daughters are developing sexual appetites of their own. The personalities in this well-drawn family combine to produce subtle new flavors — and in the end, no one is spiced as you'd imagined they'd be. A-

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