The Menu
The Menu
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau
Directed by Mark Mylod
Starring Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, Hong Chau
Directed by Mark Mylod
I've never been someone with a refined palate when it comes to dining, as pretty much everywhere I go I always get the same thing. My tastes are very specific and I'm not willing to try new things, and I never understood why people would pay literally hundreds of dollars for a plate the size of your palm that houses a few oyster eggs or whatever - just give me a nice, greasy burger and I'm all set. So "The Menu" is one of those films that's equally out of my element but also one that I can totally agree with, as its main protagonist is the voice for me, the Everyman - why are we paying $1,250 a head for a dinner? The answer is much more complex than originally thought, and provides a biting sarcastic wit toward the culturally elite foodies who have a pretentious outlook on what goes in their mouths.
World renowned celebrity chef Julia Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) runs the Hawthorne restaurant on a tiny secluded island, and has personally invited twelve people to dine at his establishment - for $1,250 a pop. The guest list includes a washed up actor (John Leguizamo) and his long-suffering assistant (Aimee Carrero); a wealthy older couple (Reed Birney and Judith Light); three entitled tech-bros (Rob Yang, Arturo Castro, and Mark St. Cyr); a pretentious food critic (Janet McTeer) and her editor (Paul Adelstein); and wannabe food critic Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and his new date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), added at the last minute after his original date dumped him.
Upon arriving on the island they're greeted by Slowik's restaurant captain Elsa (Hong Chau) who shows them the island and tells them that everything they'll be eating that night came from the island, and then they arrive at the restaurant. The chefs in the kitchen follow Slowik's direction to a T, offering a cult-like "yes Chef" whenever he addresses them, and showcases undying fidelity to the chef. Slowik explains that all the courses tell a story, and addresses each round with a resounding clap. While the other patrons seem to enjoy the food, Margot is less than impressed, and draws the ire and attention of Slowik himself, who tells her that she shouldn't be there. As the night progresses the patrons learn why they were hand-selected, as each of them serve as an explanation to Slowik's madness, and realize that this might be their last meal.
While I thought "The Menu" was going to be a straight-laced horror movie, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was also a dark, biting, satirical comedy about the pretentiousness of the culturally elite, and seeing them get skewered for their haughty attitudes. Working in the service industry (in my case retail), I come across such people on a regular basis - those who treat us like we're inferior to them and only worthy of getting them what they want, without an ounce of gratitude, so seeing how Chef Slowik slowly exposes their sins is a pure delight. What's more, the film's script was sharply written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, and they spare no expense at showcasing the worst of humanity and how it can slowly deteriorate someone's passion to the point where they simply don't care anymore about something that they were once so passionate about.
To that end, Chef Slowik isn't necessarily the villain of the story (although for all intents and purposes he is), but rather the product of years of snobby reviews and ungrateful patrons who only see him as someone to serve their annoying needs. Ralph Fiennes is always a professional, and he balances the villainous and sympathetic character to the point where you actually find yourself caring for him, despite his nefarious purposes. To some degree, (mostly) everyone he's invited to dine with him deserve what's coming to them, and seeing their comeuppance is as satisfying as the first bite of a juicy, well-done burger (I'll keep using burgers as analogies because I freaking love burgers).
The foil to Slowik's plan comes in the form of Anya Taylor-Joy's Margot, a last-minute addition to the guest list after her date's previous girlfriend dumped him. She is the fish out of water, and the voice for the common person, someone who doesn't understand why people pay good money to eat a breadless bread course or why there's foam on oysters - as do I. Yet there's more to Margot than meets the eye, and the tete-a-tete between herself and Slowik is engaging and compelling, thanks hugely to the incredible talents of Taylor-Joy and Fiennes.
Nicolas Hoult is hilarious as Tyler, a wannabe foodie who worships the ground Slowik walks on, and as the film progresses you sense the great lengths he'll go in order to please his wannabe master. When Slowik takes a vested interest in Margot's presence and calls her back to his office, he throws a tempter tantrum like a little kid as he wonders aloud why she gets to go meet with the chef in person when she doesn't even like his food. Yet the MVP of this ensemble piece is Hong Chau's Elsa, who watches over everything with a judgmental eye and no-nonsense attitude that's both subtly humorous and creepy all at the same time.
The rest of the cast also get to showcase their talents that mostly keeps them confined to their stereotypical roles, but still manages to provide some unique performances in the mix. The washed-up actor still thinks he's a viable actor, while his assistant is trying hard to quit. The tech bros are there for the experience and doesn't really care about the food. The food critic is the most closely associated to what I do, offering ten-dollar words for what she's experiencing. The older married couple is the most thinly written but still provide some intrigue.
Something COVID did for cinema is that it produced films that are strictly confined to one area, with a limited cast in order to adhere to the strict pandemic procedures, and "The Menu" benefits for those constraints. It almost feels like a stage play as the majority of the film takes place in one setting, with the focus being on the performances than any flashy gimmicks going on around them. This allows breathing room for the performers to do what they do best, and in a sense we're treated to both dinner and a show - a film that fills us without getting overstuffed, leaving the theater feeling like we enjoyed a six-course meal that we'll never forget.
The Score: A+
World renowned celebrity chef Julia Slowik (Ralph Fiennes) runs the Hawthorne restaurant on a tiny secluded island, and has personally invited twelve people to dine at his establishment - for $1,250 a pop. The guest list includes a washed up actor (John Leguizamo) and his long-suffering assistant (Aimee Carrero); a wealthy older couple (Reed Birney and Judith Light); three entitled tech-bros (Rob Yang, Arturo Castro, and Mark St. Cyr); a pretentious food critic (Janet McTeer) and her editor (Paul Adelstein); and wannabe food critic Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) and his new date Margot (Anya Taylor-Joy), added at the last minute after his original date dumped him.
Upon arriving on the island they're greeted by Slowik's restaurant captain Elsa (Hong Chau) who shows them the island and tells them that everything they'll be eating that night came from the island, and then they arrive at the restaurant. The chefs in the kitchen follow Slowik's direction to a T, offering a cult-like "yes Chef" whenever he addresses them, and showcases undying fidelity to the chef. Slowik explains that all the courses tell a story, and addresses each round with a resounding clap. While the other patrons seem to enjoy the food, Margot is less than impressed, and draws the ire and attention of Slowik himself, who tells her that she shouldn't be there. As the night progresses the patrons learn why they were hand-selected, as each of them serve as an explanation to Slowik's madness, and realize that this might be their last meal.
While I thought "The Menu" was going to be a straight-laced horror movie, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was also a dark, biting, satirical comedy about the pretentiousness of the culturally elite, and seeing them get skewered for their haughty attitudes. Working in the service industry (in my case retail), I come across such people on a regular basis - those who treat us like we're inferior to them and only worthy of getting them what they want, without an ounce of gratitude, so seeing how Chef Slowik slowly exposes their sins is a pure delight. What's more, the film's script was sharply written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, and they spare no expense at showcasing the worst of humanity and how it can slowly deteriorate someone's passion to the point where they simply don't care anymore about something that they were once so passionate about.
To that end, Chef Slowik isn't necessarily the villain of the story (although for all intents and purposes he is), but rather the product of years of snobby reviews and ungrateful patrons who only see him as someone to serve their annoying needs. Ralph Fiennes is always a professional, and he balances the villainous and sympathetic character to the point where you actually find yourself caring for him, despite his nefarious purposes. To some degree, (mostly) everyone he's invited to dine with him deserve what's coming to them, and seeing their comeuppance is as satisfying as the first bite of a juicy, well-done burger (I'll keep using burgers as analogies because I freaking love burgers).
The foil to Slowik's plan comes in the form of Anya Taylor-Joy's Margot, a last-minute addition to the guest list after her date's previous girlfriend dumped him. She is the fish out of water, and the voice for the common person, someone who doesn't understand why people pay good money to eat a breadless bread course or why there's foam on oysters - as do I. Yet there's more to Margot than meets the eye, and the tete-a-tete between herself and Slowik is engaging and compelling, thanks hugely to the incredible talents of Taylor-Joy and Fiennes.
Nicolas Hoult is hilarious as Tyler, a wannabe foodie who worships the ground Slowik walks on, and as the film progresses you sense the great lengths he'll go in order to please his wannabe master. When Slowik takes a vested interest in Margot's presence and calls her back to his office, he throws a tempter tantrum like a little kid as he wonders aloud why she gets to go meet with the chef in person when she doesn't even like his food. Yet the MVP of this ensemble piece is Hong Chau's Elsa, who watches over everything with a judgmental eye and no-nonsense attitude that's both subtly humorous and creepy all at the same time.
The rest of the cast also get to showcase their talents that mostly keeps them confined to their stereotypical roles, but still manages to provide some unique performances in the mix. The washed-up actor still thinks he's a viable actor, while his assistant is trying hard to quit. The tech bros are there for the experience and doesn't really care about the food. The food critic is the most closely associated to what I do, offering ten-dollar words for what she's experiencing. The older married couple is the most thinly written but still provide some intrigue.
Something COVID did for cinema is that it produced films that are strictly confined to one area, with a limited cast in order to adhere to the strict pandemic procedures, and "The Menu" benefits for those constraints. It almost feels like a stage play as the majority of the film takes place in one setting, with the focus being on the performances than any flashy gimmicks going on around them. This allows breathing room for the performers to do what they do best, and in a sense we're treated to both dinner and a show - a film that fills us without getting overstuffed, leaving the theater feeling like we enjoyed a six-course meal that we'll never forget.
The Score: A+
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