Dumplings (2004)
“Jiao zi” (original title)
Drama/Horror Link to IMDB Movie Profile
Let me begin by saying this movie is much more of a drama than a horror. The horror lies in the social fears related to abortions and female bits. I promise that I will not share any gross out photos. I will however discuss, as politely as possible, some of the elements related to the story. Unless someone eating normal looking food grosses you out. If you wish to see some of the more graphic images, there are plenty, just do a quick Google search. I will admit that the nastiest scenes did give me pause while I chomped on my fried potatoes, but not much. I was too busy being impressed with the props and special effects team. Yes, it looked that good….Or, bad.
Alright, let’s back this dumpling train up.
Super Simplified Plot: A retired aging actress seeks the help of a witch doctor to regain her youth and regain the love of her cheating husband. The secret ingredient in the witch doctor’s magical dumplings are human fetuses.
Let’s meet the main players:
Mrs. Li
Ms. Li--The retired actress that will pay any price to get back her youth. Just look at that B-face she is throwing out
Aunt Mei–I call her the witch doctor, but in the story she is a crazy lady and retired who lives in the seedy part of town.
Mr. Li–A jerk. I mean, I know everyone in this movie is crazy or evil, but he really is. If there is a woman in his vicinity, he will have breathy gross sex with her.
Aunt Mei
Other characters:
Mom–She cries.
Husband of mom–He impregnates.
Teen daughter–She is pregnant.
Hotel hussy–Sleeps with Mr. Li
Some Snarky Insight
- There are tons of scenes where Mrs. Li is eating dumplings. This actress must have been sick of the food in general at the end of the shooting for this flick. You have to think about too that these are only the bits of footage that the editing team decided to keep. Lord only knows, how many shots of her eating dumplings landing on the cutting room floor.
- Aunt Mei reveals early on that the most potent dumplings use a fetus from the 2nd trimester. A 5th month baby. Foreshadowing….*eerie music*
- This movie moves unbearably slowly, feel free to multitask during the movie. I believe some parts were to build suspense.
- There is a lot of out of focus and off center shots. Very artsy. Or irritating. Your choice.
- At one point you get to see Mrs. Li flossing the dumplings from her teeth in the background.
- Aunt Mei is a creepy character and interesting to watch. She grabs her feet, has a vague stare and sings to her customers.
- Lessons I learned from this movie: Illegal abortions are scary, don’t have affairs with people, and don’t be vain.
- What’s so scary about it? The gross-out factor and there is some medical scary related to abortions. I feel like this would be more disgusting and scary for women, but I didn’t watch it with any men so this is just a guess.
- Would I recommend it? Probably not to my friends. Unless you have a friend that is into scary or weird foreign horror movies. The idea of eating the flesh of youths is an old one and the way this story is done is interestingly artsy.
Dumpling Movie Spoilers—–Scroll Down at your Own Risk!
Cute Mr. Dumpling wants to warn you of SPOILERS BELOW!!
SPOILERS
- There are lots of fetal like images and a (mostly) on screen at-home ghetto abortion during the movie. Not a flick for the fragile.
- Teen and mom begs Aunt Mei for an abortion. Father raped daughter.
- This is the first potent dumplings that Mrs. Li eats and her when she returns home her husband is quoted, “you smell nice”. She’s got that new car, smell.
- When Mrs. Li and Mr. Li have their reconciliation sex, she drips/spits/gargles water into his mouth and they make love. His leg is broken. Least sexy scene ever.
- The Vanity lesson: Mrs. Li smells bad after eating a 5th month incest fetus. However, this issue disappears and she never gets her comeuppance.
- Dangers of abortion lesson: There is a upsetting bit where the teen girl
obviously suffering from complications from her abortion collapses after getting off a bus with her mother. The passenger that takes her seat is horrified to find that he sat in a pool of blood. - Mother of dead teen kills husband with a knife and is arrested
- Husband eats dumplings and fucks witch doctor
- Aunt Mei has monologue about history of cannibalism in China. Very effectively creepy.
- Husband has affair with hotel hussy at beginning of movie–He unknowingly impregnates her and this is the fetus that Mrs. Li chops up at the closing scene of the film.
Told you so.
Kat's Weblog 