Underplayed Gems

Spicy Love Soup (1997)

Spicy Love Soup poster
Original title
爱情麻辣烫
Directed by
Zhang Yang
Genre
drama film, comedy film, romance film
Country
People's Republic of China
Runtime
1h 49m
Rating
6.9 of 10 from 14 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

This Chinese film tells six interconnected stories about love and daily life in modern Beijing. Each vignette follows different couples and individuals experiencing romance, comedy, and personal moments.

lightheartedromanticwarmhumorousepisodicupbeatnostalgicurban

What happens

Spicy Love Soup (Chinese: 爱情麻辣烫; pinyin: Aìqíng Má Là Tāng) is a 1997 Chinese film directed by Zhang Yang and written by Zhang, Liu Fendou, Cai Shangjun, and Diao Yi'nan based on a story by Zhang and Peter Loehr. Spicy Love Soup was produced by Loehr's Imar Film Company, Xi'an Film Studio, and Taiwanese financing. The film is Zhang's directorial debut and would prove to be a launching pad for those both in front and behind the cameras. Screenwriters Cai Shangjun (The Red Awn) and Diao Yi'nan (Uniform, Night Train) have since gone on to direct their own films, while Liu Fendou has expanded into both directing (Green Hat) and film production (Zhang Yibai's Spring Subway). The cast is also notable for the debuts of two of China's most popular actresses, Gao Yuanyuan and Xu Jinglei. The film is an anthology of sorts, and tells its story of love and life in modern Beijing through a series of six vignettes. Spicy Love Soup was, in addition, the first film in mainland China to see a simultaneous release of a soundtrack, consisting largely of contemporary pop songs. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

More like this

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