Soul Kitchen
Cinema Nova, 05/07/2010
Status: Behind by 18 films
I like when directors try different things - the Coen Brothers swing between light and dark films and no two Curtis Hanson movies could be catalogued beside each (except if you were filing alphabetical by director, I suppose). Director FATIH AKIN’s previous film, The Edge of Heaven (about modern displacement) was about as far removed as you can get in tone and subject matter from Soul Kitchen, his latest.
The film centres on Zinos (ADAM BOUSDOUKOS, Head-On), a Greek-German cook who serves up deep fried frozen foods to a steady stream of locals. The plot and half-a-dozen odd and interesting characters whirl around him. Like Illias (MORITZ BLEIBTREU, Run, Lola, Run), his gambling-addicted brother on partial parole from prison and Shayn (BIOL UNEL, Enemy at the Gates), the fiery tempered but crazy-talented Turkish-German chef who makes Zinos’ restaurant the hottest new location when Zinos slips a spinal disc and can no longer cook. The tax department are after him, an old school friend is playing dirty to make him sell the restaurant and his girlfriend leaves town for good.
Then there is a bunch of running around, convoluted plot drivers and weird sex scenes. It's not really a food film, although there is definitely food in it, and it’s not really a music film, although there is quite a it's tempered with a grungy, shabby style, especially in the cinematography and performances by Bleibtreu and ANNA BEDERKE, the waitress who catches Illias’ eye.
Although fun enough for the running time, I was quickly looking to see what Akin would serve up next.
