Teppanyaki (1984)

	Also Known As: Tie ban shao (original), Une Belle Brochette (French)
	Year of first release: 1984
	Director: Michael Hui (Chicken and Duck Talk)
	Actors: Michael Hui, Hoi-Pang Lo, Biu Law Che
	Country: HK
	Genre: Comedy
	Conditions of visioning: 10.02.2013, DVD, Home cinema
Synopsis: Johnny (Hui) is mistreated by his wife and her father, who is also the owner of the restaurant where he works. He dreams of another woman, another life and of sandy beaches.
Review: I discovered the cinema from Michael Hui in 2011 during a retrospective on asian comedies at the Far East Film Festival in Udine. There I saw the pretty funny Chicken and Duck Talk, and heard a lot of good of The Private Eye and Games Gamblers Play. I was especially surprised to discover that the comedies made in Hong-Kong in the 80's were of the same level as the ones from Europe. I mean don't look for anything profound, but more slapstick humour. This Teppanyaki is not so good, in particular less original than Chicken and Duck Talk for example. But it is still OK to watch and not too long, and contains some funny bits. As often in asian movies, the conclusion surprises. Note that Teppanyaki is the name of the hot metal plate on which the chef cooks in front of you in some asian restaurants.
Rating: 4 /10