Master Cheng

Mika Kaurismäki’s heartfelt, feel-good romantic comedy-drama is that rarity, a Finnish-Chinese co-production.

I had hoped to declare that, against the odds, Master Cheng was highly successful because for at least three quarters of its length it can claim to be just that. This is a feel-good movie, a genre often far more appealing to the public than to critics but, while such films can often feel contrived and manipulative, those rare ones that come from the heart can win over anyone prepared to go along with them. There is no doubt but that this piece, a Finnish-Chinese co-production, is just such a work. The director here, working from a screenplay by Hannu Oravisto, is the older of the Kaurismäki brothers, Mika, who has in fact been no less prolific than his sibling Aki although it is the latter’s films that are by far the better known here. In Master Cheng there are moments of gentle humour but they are less pronounced and not quite as idiosyncratic as those we often get from Aki. Indeed, this film’s strongest link with Aki’s work is probably the human concern it expresses. In promoting common humanity above issues of ethnicity and class Mika’s film shares much with Aki’s most recent offering, 2017 's The Other Side of Hope albeit that Master Cheng takes this stance while embracing the world of feel-good cinema.

Set mainly in Finland, this is the story of how Master Cheng, a chef, arrives in the small Finnish community of Pohjanjoki having travelled there from Shanghai with his young son, Niu Niu. He is having difficulty in tracing the man he has come so far to see, but we gather that his purpose is to repay a debt, a loan which had virtually saved his life. Sirkka, the owner of the local diner, helps by putting up father and son while Cheng continues his search and he repays her for this by volunteering to cook at the diner. This involves introducing the locals to Chinese food and, while there is reluctance from the customers at first, they come to love it. As this suggests Master Cheng is to some extent a foodie movie with a focus on what is cooked, but far more prominent is the storyline which, gradually filling in Cheng’s past history, makes its central feature the rapport between the Finns and their Chinese visitors.

It is easy to guess where the narrative is headed and Kaurismäki is not out to subvert his chosen genre. Nevertheless, he plays down any potential sentimentality, achieves genuine charm and is blessed by his cast. Chu Pak Hong as Cheng and Anna-Maija Tuokko as Sirkka are ideal for these roles, while young Lucas Hsuan as Cheng’s son never forces anything in his performance. There is also a good comic duo in Kari Väänänen and Vesa-Matti Loiri as two elderly regulars in the diner who, critical at first, come to adore Chinese food and even embrace it for its healing properties.

The story, like most feel-good works, is, of course, unlikely and those who reject such unsophisticated fare may reject Master Cheng. But the piece is heartfelt and that would make it a winner but for the fact that this kind of material needs to avoid becoming over-extended. At 90 minutes, it would be fine, but the running length here is nearly two hours and the last section unnecessarily brings in a new plot complication, handles it unpersuasively and contains enough incidentals to make the film’s last quarter feel drastically drawn out. It's a shame, but many may readily forgive it, especially those who relish the feel-good mode. This is truly a film with a kind heart and with perfectly cast players so I welcome it even though I regret the decision to let it run for 114 minutes.

Original title: Mestari Cheng.

MANSEL STIMPSON

Cast: Anna-Maija Tuokko, Chu Pak Hong, Kari Väänänen, Lucas Hsuan, Vesa-Matti Loiri, Paula Miettinen, Lukas Kaurismäki.

Dir Mika Kaurismäki, Pro Iain Brown, Mika Kaurismäki and Chun-Yi Yueh, Screenplay Hannu Oravisto, Ph Jari Mutikainen, Pro Des Maria Hulkkonen, Ed Tuuli Kuittinen, Music Anssi Tikanmäki, Costumes Anna Vilppunen.

By Media International/Han Ruanyun Films/Marianna Films-Parkland Entertainment.
114 mins. Finland/China. 2019. UK Rel: 11 March 2022. Cert. PG.