Le Grand Chef
{{Short description|2007 film}}
{{For|the 1959 film|The Big Chief}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Le Grand Chef
| image = Le Grand Chef.jpg
| caption = Promotional poster for Le Grand Chef
| native_name = {{Infobox Korean|child=yes
| hangul = 식객
| hanja = 食客
| rr = Sikgaek
| mr = Sikkaek}}
| director = Jeon Yun-su
| producer = Hwang Hyeon-jeong
| writer = Jeon Yun-su
Shin Dong-ik
| based_on = {{based on|Sikgaek|Huh Young-man}}
| starring = Kim Kang-woo
Lee Ha-na
| music =
| cinematography =
| editing = Park Gok-ji
| studio = ShowEast Co Ltd
| distributor = CJ Entertainment
M-Line Distribution (international)
| released = {{Film date|2007|11|01|df=y}}
| runtime = 114 minutes
| country = South Korea
| language = Korean
| budget =
| gross = {{USD|20,794,760}}{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/intl/?page=&id=_fSHIKGAEKLEGRAND01|title=Box office by Country: Le Grand Chef|work=Box Office Mojo|access-date=2012-12-14}}
}}
Le Grand Chef ({{korean|식객|食客|Sikgaek}}) is a 2007 South Korean comedy-drama film starring Kim Kang-woo, Im Won-hee and Lee Ha-na.{{cite web|title=Le Grand Chef depicts story of talented cook|url=http://www.hancinema.net/-le-grand-chef-depicts-story-of-talented-cook-7651.html|work=The Korea Herald via Hancinema|access-date=2014-04-16|date=25 October 2007}} Produced by ShowEast and distributed by CJ Entertainment, it was released on November 1, 2007 with the length of 114 minutes.{{cite web|title=Le Grand Chef (2007)|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/films/index/filmsView.jsp?movieCd=20070435|work=Korean Film Council|access-date=2012-11-18|date=1 November 2007}}
Based on the popular manhwa Sikgaek by Huh Young-man,{{cite news|last=Lee|first=Won-jin|title=Myth man sketches his own destiny|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2884079|newspaper=Korea JoongAng Daily|access-date=2012-11-18|date=19 December 2007|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130127050312/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2884079|archive-date=27 January 2013}} the film tells the story of two chefs competing for the title of heir to the last Royal Chef of the Joseon Dynasty.{{cite web|url=http://www.koreanculture.org/?document_srl=356|title=Korean Movie Night: Le Grand Chef (Shik-gaek) January 18-24 2008|access-date=2012-11-18|work=Korean Cultural Service New York}}
Synopsis
At a press conference, the cooking knife of the last Royal Chef of Joseon Dynasty is presented to the public. The chef, who did not wish to cook for the Japanese imperial rulers, cut off his hand with this knife. The Japanese bureaucrat at the time was moved by the chef's loyalty to king and country, and kept it upon his return to Japan. Now, to redeem past evils, his son has decided to return it to Korea. In order to find a deserving owner he announces a nationwide culinary competition to find the best cook to own this knife, and become the true heir of the last Korean Royal Chef of Joseon Dynasty.{{cite web|url=http://www.koreanculture.org/?document_srl=454|title=Korean Movie Night: Le Grand Chef (Shik-gaek) 2008|access-date=2012-11-18|work=Korean Cultural Service New York}}
Archenemies Seong-chan (Kim Kang-woo) and Bong-ju (Im Won-hee) rekindle their longstanding rivalry as they sharpen their knives. Five years before, the two had competed to take over Unamjeong, a renowned Korean restaurant. But Seong-chan suffered a critical blow when his blowfish dish poisons the jurors. Distraught, he retires to the countryside, while Bong-ju exploits the wealth and fame of his inheritance. With the help of Jin-su (Lee Ha-na), a pretty, energetic reporter, Seong-chan makes a comeback. But now, he must not only battle the blindly ambitious Bong-ju, but also face the corrupt jurors and take care of his Alzheimer's-struck grandfather, and also take a few moments to contemplate the budding romance with Jin-su.{{cite web|last=Yang|first=Sung-jin|title=Le Grand Chef offers visual feast with colorful food contest|url=http://www.hancinema.net/movie-review-le-grand-chef-offers-visual-feast-with-colorful-food-contest-11198.html|work=The Korea Herald via Hancinema|access-date=2014-04-16|date=22 October 2007}}{{cite web|last=Lee|first=Hyo-won|title=Chef Overfeeds Gourmet Drama |url=https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2012/01/141_12547.html|work=The Korea Times|access-date=2013-03-10|date=25 October 2007}}
Cast
- Kim Kang-woo as Seong-chan
- Lee Tae-ri - young Seong-chan - (credited as Lee Min-ho)
- Lee Ha-na as Jin-su
- Im Won-hee as Bong-ju
- Jung Eun-pyo - Ho-seong, Seong-chan's sous-chef in the competition
- Kim Seong-won - finals commentator
- Jung Jin
Reception
The film grossed a total of {{SK won|18,472,917,203}} in South Korea, after six weeks of screening.{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/intl/korea/?yr=2007&wk=49¤cy=local&p=.htm|title=South Korea Box Office: December 7–9, 2007|work=Box Office Mojo|access-date=2012-04-24}} It sold 3,038,868 tickets nationwide and was the 4th most attended film of 2007.{{cite web|last=Yi|first=Ch'ang-ho|title=Le Grand Chef Tops 4th quarter of 2007|url=http://www.koreanfilm.or.kr/jsp/news/news.jsp?mode=VIEW&seq=869|work=Korean Film Council|access-date=2013-03-06|date=13 December 2007}}[http://www.koreanfilm.org/films2007.html#boxoffice "Theatrical Releases in 2007: Box-Office Admission Results"]. Koreanfilm.org. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
Spin-off
The manhwa was also adapted into the television series Gourmet starring Kim Rae-won, Nam Sang-mi and Kim So-yeon, that aired on SBS in 2008.{{cite news|title=Dramas Feature Professionals, Comics|url=https://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2008/01/135_16898.html|access-date=2013-03-06|newspaper=The Korea Times|date=8 January 2008|author=Kwon Mee-yoo|author2=Han Sang-hee}}
A sequel to the film, Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle was released in 2010, starring Kim Jung-eun and Jin Goo.{{cite news|title=Le Grand Chef 2: Kimchi Battle (2009)|url=http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2010/01/29/2010012900719.html|access-date=2012-11-18|newspaper=The Chosun Ilbo|date=29 January 2010}}
References
{{Reflist|2}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.bestchef.co.kr}} {{in lang|ko}}
- {{IMDb title|1135972|Le Grand Chef}}
- {{Hancinema film|Le_Grand_Chef|Le Grand Chef}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Chef, Le}}
Category:South Korean drama films
Category:Films based on manhwa
Category:Films based on works by Huh Young-man
Category:CJ Entertainment films
Category:2000s Korean-language films
Category:Live-action films based on comics