3. Dumplings (2004)
Dumplings is an awesome, yet highly disgusting Hong Kong film directed by Fruit Chan. It is gross to watch but it is highly compelling. Mrs Li is aint getting any younger and is worried about losing her looks. Her husband is bored with her and having an affair with his young sexy masseuse. She visits Aunt Mei, a chef who has been recommended to her. Right from the off, Mrs Li knows that she is eating dumplings with human foetuses in them and she is comfortable with that. One day, a black market foetus comes in - Mei performed a backstreet abortion on a 14 year old girl who was 5 months pregnant with her father's child. The girl later bleeds to death. Mrs Li is horrified at first but eats the foetus. She feels so rejuvenated she rushes to have sex with her husband. Mrs Li holds a dinner party and her friends compliment her on her new found radiance but wonder what the fish like stink is. In horror, Mrs Li phones Mei who says inbred foetuses are the mot potent of all. Mrs Li's husband has been listening on the end of the phone. Curious he seeks Mei out, learning she is 64 but all the foetuses keep her as young and attractive as a 30 year old. Mrs Li realises she cannot live without the dumplings but Mei, now a mistress of Mr Li, tears up her checks. There is a terrible carry on where the girl who bled to death's mother knifes her paedophile husband. The trail leads back to Mei and she scarpers. Meanwhile, Mrs Li finds out her hubby impregnated the masseuse. The masseuse wants the baby, but Mrs Li offers her a lot of money to abort her child. She eats her husbands foetus. Mei is seen selling dumplings in Shangzhen. An interesting tale on how far some people will go to preserve their looks, Dumplings never hides the hideous ingredient that goes into the snack. Less of a horror film than just plain horrific, the film is beautifully acted and wonderfully filmed. Mind you, if you cannot suspend your disgust at the eating of foetuses, these things will be of little comfort to you. I found it to be an absorbing, clever film but I do have very jaded tastes which enable me to process vile material quite easily. The sensitive of you will be reaching for barf bags.