Kochen ist Chefsache

Did I already say that I love cooking and films about cooking? I probably did. For food lovers talking, reading, watching TV shows and - why not - seeing movies about food and the people behind food just amplifies the pleasure of enjoying good food and enriches the experience. We have been blessed with a few good movies on this topic, some older (who can forget Louis de Funes in L'Aille et la cuisse?) some recently like the American Chef with an almost identical title as the French comedy Le Chef.

We may of course expect a lot from a French film about 'haute cuisine' - the subject should be part of the national expertise after all. Director and script co-writer Daniel Cohen has taken the easy path with this lighthearted comedy about a famous chef (Jean Reno) who is obsessed with keeping his three Michelin stars intact and an unemployed aspirant (Michael Youn) trying to find his way in the world of high-end cooking. Everybody has a good time and especially Reno who abandons for a short while his tough guy mask and lets us know that he owns a carefully suppressed comic talent.

There is some serious background behind the light comedy which should not be omitted. Great chefs nowadays need to fight increased competition from street food and from the modern trends like 'molecular food' (which incidentally I hate as much as the folks who wrote the script of this film). Fighting kitsch or pretentious avant-garde artistic challenge that is not encountered only by artists in cooking but by many other fields. So are the crisis of creativity, the loss of inspiration, the need to change and do something else in certain turning points of lives and careers. None of these subjects are absent but none is explored to deeply either in 'Le Chef'. The result in culinary terms is a 'souffle' - light and pleasant when eaten but not leaving persistent memories after the consumption. I mentioned the American movie 'Chef' which also dealt with a famous cook in some crisis in his life and career turning to street food. Well, the food in the American 'Chef' may not have been as classy as the food in the French 'Le Chef' but the film that resulted was better.

This film is about a chef who has to do his best and reinvent his culinary style in order to stop his boss from closing his restaurant.

"The Chef" is a light hearted way to look at a chef's struggle to keep his act up. He recruits a young chef to help him out, and much hilarity ensues when personalities and different methods of cooking clash. The film keeps a good pace, and there are plenty of funny scenes to keep viewers entertained. I particularly enjoy the scenes on molecular cuisine experimentation, they are so hilarious! The interpersonal relationships are well handled, particularly between the two chefs and between the young chef and his wife. The portrayal of the young chef's financial problem looks very real, and many viewers will be able to relate to that. I enjoyed watching "The Chef" a lot.

It is a story about events related to a chef, his work, his kitchen and a young associate. There are the usual sorts of back stories, but nothing elaborate.

In fact, "nothing elaborate" is probably a good way to describe this movie.

There are few aspects that had me actually laughing - mostly the scene with the 'Japanese' customers. The rest raised a few smiles along the way. It was a pleasant passing of time.

The best part of the movie was the appearance of an actress named Rebecca Miquel as Carole. Stunning.

If you want to laugh at events in the kitchen you would be much better off watch the TV series Whites.

I've watched countless french movies and with a mother who actually lived in France for many many years it's customary to watch one together in the cinema instead on DVD. This time we made an excellent choice. It was refreshing, with smart dialogues and hilarious moments. It brought something of when everything is evolving in this world will the French cuisine take the challenge or does it even worth to try? Mu mother enjoyed it immensely and she would know having watched French's cinema finest.... As for me... I haven't laughed so since TV5 had la poison 1951 at its schedule! And as an extra treat was the lack of plot holes or nothing I noticed anyway (and believe me that'a quite hard)

Nothing to be ashamed here, you can do worse than spend an evening with this comedy, but there's little here that puts it above other feel-good comedies with the exception of Jean Reno - who is, sadly, the only one here with real comedy timing. The main actor, Youn, is obviously a bit overstrained with carrying the movie.

Apart from the boring lead, the gags are OK and mostly good-natured, what's maybe missing is a bit more "bite" or bitterness in this altogether rather sweet mix. Some punches are thrown against stylish kitchen trends and star restaurants (which is OK with me, but those are easy targets).

Recommended for people who like cooking themselves (as we do).