Zone Pro Site Explained

Zone Pro Site
Director:Chen Yu-hsun
Producer:Lee Lieh
Yeh Ju-feng
Screenplay:Chen Yu-hsun
Starring:Kimi Hsia
Tony Yang
Lin Mei-hsiu
Music:Owen Wang
Cinematography:Chienn Hsiang
Editing:Cheung Ka-wai
Studio:1 Production Film
Ocean Deep Films
Distributor:Warner Bros. Taiwan
Runtime:145 minutes
Country:Taiwan
Language:Mandarin
Taiwanese
Budget:NT$70 million[1]
Gross:NT$305 million (Taiwan)

Zone Pro Site (; lit. "Bandoh master chef"), also known as Zone Pro Site: The Moveable Feast, is a 2013 Taiwanese comedy film directed by Chen Yu-hsun, starring Kimi Hsia, Tony Yang and Lin Mei-hsiu.

Plot

Aspiring model Wan rejects her late father Master Fly Spirit's dying wish to inherit his legendary culinary expertise, but fails countless auditions in Taipei and is left saddled with her ex-boyfriend's debt. Returning home to Tainan to flee debt collectors, she learns that her family's traditional outdoor banquet catering business has been reduced to a single noodle stand managed by her well-meaning but inept stepmother Puffy, who recently lost a bet with her late husband's former apprentice, rival chef Tsai.

When an elderly couple seek Fly Spirit to cater for their upcoming wedding, Wan impulsively accepts the job despite having lost her father's prized cookbook to a vagrant. With the help of a wandering gourmet doctor named Hai and Fly Spirit's own former master, Master Tiger Nose, Wan and Puffy begin recreating the lost recipes. Local businessman Chairman Hsu is impressed by their nostalgic dish of Fried Rice Noodles, and encourages them to take part in the National Catering Contest, with a one million dollar first prize that would help cover Wan's debt and fame that would restore the family business to its former glory.

Wan and Hai grow closer, but become estranged after an argument over Wan's reluctance to embrace her late father's legacy and Hai's past as a convicted felon. To complicate matters, Wan's debt collectors come calling and insist on accompanying them to the catering contest, to ensure they receive the prize money. Meanwhile, Hai encounters his mentor, the paroled gangster and infamous underground chef Master Ghost Head, who recruits him into Chef Tsai's team for the competition.

Arriving in Taipei, Wan and Puffy brave through multiple rounds of the catering contest, assisted by Tiger Nose, his caregiver Rosemary, an eccentric trio of students, and surreptitious help from Hai, as well as the two debt collectors press-ganged into being kitchen stooges. Between rounds, Wan has numerous encounters with the vagrant, who is revealed to be Master Silly Mortal, another famed chef who now cooks exclusively for the homeless. Silly Mortal returns the remnants of Fly Spirit’s cookbook to Wan, offers her hot meals and sage wisdom, as well as teaching her the true meaning of traditional outdoor banquet catering.

Although Wan ultimately loses the final round to Tsai, she restores her family’s reputation and gains satisfaction from successfully catering for the elderly newlyweds' banquet, as well as being rewarded a lucrative government contract to supply railway boxed lunches as second prize. The Stooges write off Wan's debt, revealing it to be part of a scam, and join her and Puffy in their new business venture. Finally, Hai visits Wan's new store and reconciles with her.

Cast

The film also features Hsu Chen-Te, Chen Yen-Tso, and Chein Yu-An as the "Animals on Call", a trio of resourceful and internet-savvy students who frequently aid Wan. Chen Po-Wen and Pai Ming-Hua appear as the elderly couple whose request for a banquet at their upcoming wedding sets Wan off on her quest. Wang Tzu-Chiang and Lai Pei-Ying appear as Mr and Mrs. Wang, proprietors of a nearby restaurant with a family secret soy sauce recipe. Yang Li-Yin, Shan Cheng-Ju, and Hsieh yu-Wei appears as Judges Jiang, Liu, and King, a trio of food critics presiding over the National Catering Competition. Wu Pong-fong appears as Master Tiger Nose's master in the flashback framing story set in rural Taiwan.

Singer-songwriter Ma Nien-hsien, who performed a number of songs in the film's official soundtrack, makes a guest appearance as a taxi driver, while Rhydian Vaughan cameos as a ukulele street musician, although their scenes were ultimately cut from the film and instead shown in the credits.

Soundtrack

Zone Pro Site: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Type:Soundtrack
Artist:Various artists
Border:yes
Released:October 9, 2013
Genre:Film soundtrack
Label:Asia Muse

Reception

It was the 6th highest-grossing film of 2013 in Taiwan, with NT$305 million.[2]

Film Business Asia's Derek Elley gave the film a rating of 8 out of 10.[3]

Awards and nominations

Award ceremonyCategoryRecipientsResult
50th Golden Horse AwardsBest Original Film ScoreOwen Wang
Best Original Film SongSong: "Jin Ma Bo Un" ("金罵沒ㄤ")
Writer: Ma Nien-hsien
Performer: Lin Mei-hsiu
2014 Italy Asian Film FestivalBest FilmZone Pro Site
2014 Amsterdam Food Film Festival Audience AwardZone Pro Site
2014 Devour! The Food Film FestGolden Tine Award for Best Feature Zone Pro Site
2014 New York Asian Film FestivalAudience AwardZone Pro Site
2014 Taipei Film FestivalBest Supporting ActressLin Mei-hsiu
Outstanding Artistic Contribution in Art DesignMax Huang

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Movie review: Zone Pro Site. Ho Yi. 16 August 2013. Taipei Times. 17 March 2017. 17 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170317235311/http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2013/08/16/2003569795. live.
  2. Web site: Eric Shih on Warner's Taiwan strategy. Silvia Wong. 14 February 2014. 14 February 2014. Film Business Asia. 21 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140221122800/http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/eric-shih-on-warners-taiwan-strategy. live.
  3. Web site: Zone Pro Site. Derek Elley. 18 September 2013. 14 February 2014. Film Business Asia. 21 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140221122802/http://www.filmbiz.asia/reviews/zone-pro-site. live.