With an ease that marks the true craftsman, Ang Lee develops a rapport between his characters and the audience. These people have a richness, texture, and depth that no stereotype could hope to match, and which a film like Wayne Wang's The Joy Luck Club was grasping for. For his cast, Lee has chosen a mixture of actors he has and has not previously worked with. The role of Chu was written with veteran performer Sihung Lung in mind. The actor appeared in a similar patriarchal capacity in the director's Pushing Hands and The Wedding Banquet .
Food is as much a backdrop as a recurring symbol.
Chu's failing taste buds parallel his loss for the zest for life. Nevertheless, as with The Age of Innocence , which displayed countless dishes guaranteed to whet the appetite, Eat Drink Man Woman could perhaps be frustrating to any who view it on an empty stomach. Eat Drink Man Woman is basted in its own wonderfully seasoned juices. A treat for those not scared off by subtitles, this movie provides one of the year's most sincere views of family dynamics. Dealing with subjects that could easily have emerged half-baked, Lee instead applies his talent and comes up with a dish cooked to perfection.