O Tempero da Vida

I would recommend it to those who seek to see beautiful Finnish landscapes and a delicate, loving story unravel itself. It's quiet and peaceful, full of beauty and kindness!

A quiet story about a budding romance between two loners and the power of food. Nothing special, but charming in its simplicity - this movie doesn't WANT to be special, it just presents the characters (and landscape) in a relaxed, unagitated manner. There's exactly one urgent situation in the film (it concerns the boy) and that gets resolved in about one minute.

Not exactly required viewing, but for a nice evening, you can do worse than give this movie a chance.

I saw this at a recent film festival, and was refreshed by its compassionate and humane plot and characterisation.

It is set in rural Finland. The female lead runs a struggling restaurant popular with the locals but serving the most bland of food (from our point of view). One day, a mysterious and troubled-seeming Chinese gentleman who also happens to be an experienced chef appears out of nowhere. To cut a long story short, he spices things up and takes over the operation of the lady's restaurant.

But this is only incidental; beneath the superficial plot is a deeply tender and inspiring one about two wounded individuals trying to escape the demons of their past, and falling deeply in love in the process, which is conveyed with rare compassion and affection.

This is that rare thing in cinema: a genuinely wholesome film that is never earnest or sentimental, but genuinely entertaining. It struck me that this is perhaps the first film I have seen in a long time where every single character is likeable, and where I genuinely left the cinema feeling somehow purified. Even the at first insular and seemingly xenophobic restaurant regulars show the deepest magnanimity. It's refreshing, and comes highly recommended.

Warm, slow story, with Finnish humour and beautiful Lapland landscapes. If you know Finnish mentality and you like it, then this movie is for you. Female actres great role. Film filled my heart with love to Lapland, although I haven't yet been there.

'Master Cheng' exhibits the essentials of a great film, much like the directorial films of Clint Eastwood. Low budget, small cast, limited location, but an excellent story and excellent use of both actors and location settings.

From the start of the film, I was slowly drawn in. I was kept in by the strong performances of the lead characters, as well as the mystery and emotional undertones of the two main leads.

If you're a film student, this film is certainly one to watch, as it demonstrates the critical attributes of a good movie. If you are a film-lover, as I am, I highly recommend this film as a very refreshing change from all the CGI or 'guns and explosion' laden films that we are bombarded with. This film made me want to seek out other films of this kind.

Enjoy!