One fine morning, a Ms Lin from Tainan gets ready for a big day – her 70th birthday. Lo and behold, just hours before the banquet at the restaurant she founded, her estranged husband passes away.
That’s first 10 minutes of the film. The stage is set. Battle line drawn. Now what?
There is of course the other woman. But these days, the intruder is not always bad. At least not in the eyes of one of Lin’s daughters.
Like a good daughter, she believes that anyone who is nice to daddy can’t be that bad. Is it because she is the last ‘meaningful’ product of the ‘failed’ love of her parents? Then again, can we call it a failure?
I read that the film is based on the life of director 許承傑 Joseph Hsu’s grandma. He must have witnessed some of these altercations and have them all engraved in his heart.
Interestingly, his earlier short film is titled Big Little Man. I’m guessing that would be him. Now he has moved on to Little Big Women 孤味. Wise move.
I think to compare this to Eat Drink Man Woman won’t be too far fetch though it is slightly unfair to Hsu. If there are similarities, it must be because like Ang Lee, Hsu learned to observe life intimately and translate the moments into the silver screen.
Acting wise, I think both cast are equally good. Back then I was crazy about 吳倩蓮 Jacklyn Wu. Now, my heart yearns for 謝盈萱 Ying-Hsuan Hsieh. 都是美女，都是才女，要怎麼選？就不選。
Should you watch?
I’m watching again.
Enough said.