By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 1.5 cats
Director: Fatih Akin
Starring: Adam Bousdoukos | Anna Bederke | Birol Ünel | Lukas Gregorowicz | Moritz Bliebtreu | Pheline Roggan
Country: germany
Year: 2010
Running time: 99
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1244668/
Bruce says: “Fatih Akin’s first international hit HEAD-ON was an augury of great things to come. Certainly the Chlotrudis Best Picture, THE EDGE OF HEAVEN, bore out any such theories of predication regarding his work. Along comes SOUL KITCHEN which, following theory, should be a career peaking film. Nothing could be further from the truth. SOULD KITCHEN is a dreary attempt to capture the mirth of a particular type of American sitcom, the humor of which is based on ineptitude, ignorance, meanness and dissolute behavior.
“The Kazantsakis brothers are a case of opposites. Shiftless sleazebag Illias (Moritz Bleibtreu) is in jail for grand theft and the hard-working, doe-eyed Zinos (Adam Bousdoukos) has purchased an abandoned warehouse where he has a fledgling restaurant called Soul Kitchen. Nadine (Pheline Roggan), Zinos’ unconvincing love interest from Hamburg’s wealthy, educated upper echelon, gets a news-reporting career break and heads off to China alone. In order to salvage their relationship and join Nadine in Shanghai, Zinos signs over the restaurant and property rights to Illias when he is released on parole. In the mix are an artistic waitress, an alcoholic gourmet chef, a crooked real estate tycoon, a rock musician, a holistic practitioner, and a homeless man. Predictably, disaster strikes; love appears in unexpected places; and evil deeds are punished. The basic premise is so preposterous that it is difficult to suspend disbelief. The characters are so poorly scripted that it is nearly impossible to see them as anything other than cartoons. Those who are patient enough to sit through the entire film will be treated to what are the best ending credits in town, no matter what else is playing.
“Akin’s next film GARBAGE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN is a documentary. His excellent CROSSING THE BRIDGE: THE SOUND OF ISTANBUL, also a documentary, proves he is not just a narrative dramatic filmmaker. Comedy is a genre not all directors should tackle. Hopefully Akin will stick to the things he does best. Fans of this film could argue that it is merely a fantasy. What makes most fantasy ring true is the kernel of truth that grounds it and helps us relate to both the characters and the story. SOUL KITCHEN is an empty shell. 1.5 cats
“(SOUL KITCHEN screened at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.)”