Mrs. Li is a middle-aged woman who once was the star of a popular tv-show. During the time when she was on the show she met her husband who now just seems to be interested in younger girls and is having an affair on the side. Desperate to turn back time and go back to her young and beautiful self, Li seeks out Mei who claims to have the secret to restoring youth. Apparently Mei is decades older than she appears to be, and her secret is dumplings. That is, dumplings filled with a secret ingredient.
Just to make things absolutely clear; This is a review for the feature-length version of Fruit Chan's Dumplings and not the shorter version that was included in the Three...Extremes package. If you've already seen the shorter version like I had before watching this one, the big question is of course if it's worth to sit through the long version as well. And the answer is yes, it sure is. I found this feature-length version to be way more interesting than the shorter version. After all, while the short version only lasted for 37 minutes, this one lasts for 91 minutes which makes it a bit more than twice as long. Now you of course wonder what the major differences between the two are, and I would say that seeing it from a horror point of view, the differences are not too big. But on the drama side of things there's a huge difference, since the feature-length version takes its time developing the characters and making us feel something for them, and when watching this version, it kinda made the shorter version feel a bit rushed so to speak. Don't get me wrong here since I believe that the shorter version sure delivered, but if you liked what that version had to offer, you should most definitely give this one a go since here you'll really get your money's worth.
When I first started to watch this full-length feature, I pretty much just wanted to see what they had left out in the short version. To my big surprise though, watching this actually felt like watching a brand new great movie, rather than watching something I had already seen and knew the story to. This version has subplots that are completely missing in the short version, but biggest thing I think is what I said above; That we get to know the characters not just a bit more, but way better which also makes you care more and makes the film come out looking better once the credits roll. That is, even though you might know how it ends right from the start.
 
In Dumplings you could call the character named Mei the fountain of youth. She makes dumplings containing fetuses that makes you younger, and Mrs. Li who wants nothing more than to be young again, of course goes for it. When first visiting Mei, Li is treated to some of Mei's normal dumplings that are supposed to make you look younger as well but that don't really have that much effect. Mei lets Li know that she could make other dumplings of the most potent stuff there's to find, but that the ingredient itself is quite hard to find. Li then lets Mei know that she really wants it, and money is no object. It's funny to see when Li finds out what's in the dumplings when she sees Mei making them for her. At first she feels sick and leaves Mei's apartment, but to later come back and to go for it. It's amazing to see what she's willing to go through in order to look young again, after all, it's cannibalism folks.
I'm not sure whether or not one special scene was featured in the short version, but it's where you get to see Mrs. Li's husband, Li, eating eggs that contains chicken fetuses. It's of course totally repulsive, but the fact is that this man is trying to keep his youth as well. Best thing with Dumplings is that it really doesn't take sides. It just shows you the whole thing and lets you being the viewer decide what is bad and what is good, who is the worst and so on. It could've easily gone in one direction but I'm happy that it didn't. In fact, all of the characters are both good and bad, and since the movie gives them a lot of depth, you'll probably come to like them and feel that you somehow understand their actions even considering some of the things they're doing.
Dumplings is a really stunning movie that uses awesome colours that looks absolutely amazing. The directing is top-notch and the photography is to die for. If you don't care about these sort of things, let me instead tell you that basically you get everything here, that is except for cheap scares considering Dumplings being a horror movie and all. The actual horror in this film is the subject it deals with and along with that, there are plenty or disturbing images and at some point the movie is bound to more or less gross you out. The acting is absolutely brilliant and it's almost impossible to not get caught up in the interesting and rewarding story. It's a movie that makes you think and at the same time it entertains. Well worth watching, and forget about the short version...this is the real deal.
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ALTERNATIVE TITLE: Gaau ji
Jiaozi
MOVIE YEAR: 2004
DIRECTOR: Fruit Chan
WRITING CREDITS: Lilian Lee
GENRE: Horror
CAST: Pauline Lau, Mi Mi Lee, Tony Leung Ka Fai
COUNTRY: Hong Kong
RUNTIME: 91 min
RATING: 9/10
Dumplings Website/IMDB Click here
Dumplings Trailer Click here
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