MASTER CHENG
***
Director: Mika Kaurismäki
Screenwriter: Hannu Oravisto
Principal cast:
Pak Hon Chu
Anna-Maija Tuokko
Lucas Hsuan
Vesa-Matti Loiri
Kari Väänänen
Country: Finland/China
Classification: PG
Rating: ***
Runtime: 114mins.
Australian release date: 2 July 2020
Mika Kaurismäki’s Master Cheng is an interesting observation of a clash, and eventual assimilation, of two wildly divergent cultures through the appreciation of food. It’s set in an unnamed, remote village in Finland, where a Chinese chef, Cheng (Pak Hon Chu), turns up with his young son, Nunjo aka ‘Niu Niu’ (Lucas Hsuan), looking for a Finnish friend he’d met years earlier in Shanghai. The pair ends up hanging out in the local diner (the only sign of life) and Cheng proceeds to ask the diners if they know a man he calls ‘Fongtron’ but no one seems to know who or what ‘Fongtron’ is. The diner is run by Sirkka (Anna-Maija Tuokko), a city-slicker who was bequeathed the premises by an aunt, and who’s decided to make a new life for herself in this rural backwater. It’s not easy, however, and she’s been reduced to turning out the same bland fare day after day to her regular customers.
When a coach breaks down carrying a group of hungry tourists from China, Cheng offers to cook a Chinese meal for them, a meal which is appreciated by not just by the tourists but also by the locals, who all benefit from the tasty, nutritious fare. It’s a far cry from Sirkka’s food, which consists predominately of sausages and potatoes. As there isn’t a hotel in the village, Sirkka offers Cheng and his son accommodation plus a job at the diner and Cheng begins cooking exotic meals every day, declaring that “Good food make happy”, and soon business is booming. While they work together, Sirkka and Cheng slowly begin to learn about each other’s past, but it soon becomes apparent that it’s not just their national cuisines that are different. As Sirkka impatiently states to Master Cheng, “In Finland we say what we think. Don’t be polite, it complicates things.” Of course, you can’t just move to another country and stay there at will, and soon visa problems emerge and the local police start to wonder why this stranger and his son have arrived in their secluded outpost.
Master Cheng is a sweet enough tale, but occasionally it lapses into being just a bit too twee. It needs some of the drollery that it would have had in the hands of the director’s younger brother, Aki Kaurismäki. Yes, it has a cast of endearing and eccentric characters and some keen insights into the Finnish way of life but, beyond that, it lacks much dramatic tension. Aided by a lovely score (that skilfully combines Eastern and Western folk music references) and a prettily impressive landscape captured in wide-screen, Mika Kaurismäki has created an experience that will appeal to audiences prepared to journey to a country not often seen on our screens. It’s an optimistic look at life’s challenges and how new beginnings can be made if one is prepared to open oneself up to cultural variations.
P.S. If you want a film that better examines how life, culture and food can affect the soul, seek out Gabriel Axel’s 1987 movie, Babette’s Feast. That’s a real gourmet treat!
Screenwriter: Hannu Oravisto
Principal cast:
Pak Hon Chu
Anna-Maija Tuokko
Lucas Hsuan
Vesa-Matti Loiri
Kari Väänänen
Country: Finland/China
Classification: PG
Rating: ***
Runtime: 114mins.
Australian release date: 2 July 2020
Mika Kaurismäki’s Master Cheng is an interesting observation of a clash, and eventual assimilation, of two wildly divergent cultures through the appreciation of food. It’s set in an unnamed, remote village in Finland, where a Chinese chef, Cheng (Pak Hon Chu), turns up with his young son, Nunjo aka ‘Niu Niu’ (Lucas Hsuan), looking for a Finnish friend he’d met years earlier in Shanghai. The pair ends up hanging out in the local diner (the only sign of life) and Cheng proceeds to ask the diners if they know a man he calls ‘Fongtron’ but no one seems to know who or what ‘Fongtron’ is. The diner is run by Sirkka (Anna-Maija Tuokko), a city-slicker who was bequeathed the premises by an aunt, and who’s decided to make a new life for herself in this rural backwater. It’s not easy, however, and she’s been reduced to turning out the same bland fare day after day to her regular customers.
When a coach breaks down carrying a group of hungry tourists from China, Cheng offers to cook a Chinese meal for them, a meal which is appreciated by not just by the tourists but also by the locals, who all benefit from the tasty, nutritious fare. It’s a far cry from Sirkka’s food, which consists predominately of sausages and potatoes. As there isn’t a hotel in the village, Sirkka offers Cheng and his son accommodation plus a job at the diner and Cheng begins cooking exotic meals every day, declaring that “Good food make happy”, and soon business is booming. While they work together, Sirkka and Cheng slowly begin to learn about each other’s past, but it soon becomes apparent that it’s not just their national cuisines that are different. As Sirkka impatiently states to Master Cheng, “In Finland we say what we think. Don’t be polite, it complicates things.” Of course, you can’t just move to another country and stay there at will, and soon visa problems emerge and the local police start to wonder why this stranger and his son have arrived in their secluded outpost.
Master Cheng is a sweet enough tale, but occasionally it lapses into being just a bit too twee. It needs some of the drollery that it would have had in the hands of the director’s younger brother, Aki Kaurismäki. Yes, it has a cast of endearing and eccentric characters and some keen insights into the Finnish way of life but, beyond that, it lacks much dramatic tension. Aided by a lovely score (that skilfully combines Eastern and Western folk music references) and a prettily impressive landscape captured in wide-screen, Mika Kaurismäki has created an experience that will appeal to audiences prepared to journey to a country not often seen on our screens. It’s an optimistic look at life’s challenges and how new beginnings can be made if one is prepared to open oneself up to cultural variations.
P.S. If you want a film that better examines how life, culture and food can affect the soul, seek out Gabriel Axel’s 1987 movie, Babette’s Feast. That’s a real gourmet treat!