Short Order - Das Leben ist ein Buffet

Before The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Mr. Bean's Holiday or The Science of Sleep, there was Short Order. While it has just reached our shores a couple of months ago, it is not a new film. It is, however, a film for those who like fantasy and lightness and beauty.

Of course, the great beauty in all the films mentioned is Emma de Caunes, the star of this film; a short order cook who is actually a great chef, but is afraid to step out and let the world judge her. De Caunes is enjoyable in every film I have seen above, and she is most enjoyable here.

Running a close second is her friend in the film, played by Cosma Shiva Hagen, whom I have not seen before, but certainly want to search out.

The rest of the cast, which included John Hurt and Vanessa Redgrave, as well as an enchanting Tatiana Ouliankina in her first film added to this strange fantasy about life and food in a way that can only be appreciated by viewing; mere words do their performances no justice.

There are two themes running throughout: one the quest for the whale al la Moby Dick, and the continual referencing of sex and food. It is quite hilarious to hear those references, and made the film well worth watching.

Unfortunately, I was not aware of this movie until its DVD release in the States. However, I did know of the beautiful and talented Emma de Caunes and the other beauty Shiva. This movie was beautifully constructed to perfection and is a true masterpiece among cinemas best. It reminded me of films like The Last Minute, Russian Ark, Waking Life, The Science of Sleep, The Life Aquatic, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Thank you to all of the crew involved in the making f this cinematic masterpiece and I hope we see more films like this in the future.

~ ^ Slack

SHORT ORDER is a lot like a crass Jean-Pierre Jeunet film. It's filled with vignettes trying to link food to sex. So we have Jon Polito describing mending pizza dough in the same way he would touch a woman and we see a chef from behind furiously beating eggs and looking a lot like, well, you figure it out. There's also plenty of college freshman-level existential philosophizing, Moby Dick references, and allusions to classic Hollywood musicals. The movie is not all that overall, but it did confirm for me that Emma de Caunes is the most beautiful actress currently working, and co-star Cosma Shiva Hagen might be a pretty close second.