American Bistro

With a TV-14 rating (via On Demand) we thought this would be okay to watch with our family. WRONG!! Within the first 5 minutes it became obvious it was not a family movie, especially for families trying to teach wholesome values. Come on, real dialogue would have been nice instead of using four-letter words to fill up space and time. Hoping that the beginning language loss was just for shock value we were wrong and turned it off a few minutes later.

American Bistro Is the Feel Good Movie of the Year

American Bistro grabs the audience's attention from the start and doesn't let go until the end. In the first scene a young man named Edmund (portrayed by Arthur Diennet) is grieving over his past actions and pondering the consequences. He asks that question that we all have asked. The question that is impossible to answer, "what if."

And the tone is set for the rest of the movie. Arthur Diennet wrote the script which he also directed and produced. He takes the viewer on an emotional, but joyous, ride as he investigates the themes of love, loss, anger and regret.

In his state of confusion about life, Edmund turns to his uncle Medor (played by Diennet's real life father Marcel Diennet - Medor is also gripping with loss and regret.

Marcel Diennet is a cinematic genius and a lesser artist would buckle under the weight of the many hats he wore during production. He joined drama and comedy together perfectly without sacrificing either. The final result is almost flawless.

The few criticisms are almost too small to mention. A few of the lesser characters are stereotyped. There is one too many vomit scenes. This movie is strong on its' own and low brow vomit scenes are not necessary.

Diennet gives us the answer to the question he asked at the beginning of American Bistro. An adventure is a problem after problem. A true hero is the one who surmounts problem after problem.

In the end there can be no light without darkness.

The perfect allegory for this film is the same with restaurants. We usually visit those restaurants that are recommended to us or have good reviews, then you visit and discover the tragic reality. This film doesn't know what it wants to be. I know it's an independent film and it's not easy to make movies, but besides some problems with the script, there are unforgivable technical problems, mainly with the audio editing. The premise of the script is interesting but the acting seems close to that of a high school film. I wish all the luck to the authors and director but I didn't like the film very much.

It was a disaster... This is a narcissist need of father and son (I assume) to write and play together. There are ZERO acting skills, the plot is mediocre and the acting, again, it is a persoanl need that is asking us for money and attention. In a world where time is a commodity, this is a waste of it. Spend your time (and dime) wisely. Avoid this one.

--Heartfelt indeed. I feel American Bistro does a great job of throwing some relatable and arduous life experiences your way, only to quickly spice them up with wry humour. And to top it off, there are decent emotional payoffs to the hooks which are laid, as well as solid messages about life that tie up the movie's points.

--The musical score does nothing extraordinary, but it is tasteful and does its job of guiding you through the movie's emotions quite well. I don't remember seeing any of these actors before, which probably tells more about my lack of engagement than their talent, because they deliver great performances. Particularly the two male leads. The movie largely approaches the problems it ponders through a father/son dynamic and the female characters, while they have fun personalities and moments of expression, are mostly there for the ride and do not greatly influence the plot. This isn't criticism, but a notification for any girls or women reading this. You might be amused, but may find fewer points to relate.

--There are only two points where I felt the movie's quality weaken. There is one argument between Medor and Gwen which felt somewhat theatrical, but both actors display good performances outside of this scene. At the very end of the movie, it decides to really drive certain ideas and messages, and somewhat forces them upon the plot. Perhaps some screenwriting or editing magic could have made it more seamless. I felt a jog in the pacing, but even with that in mind the resolution unfolded quite well.

--If you're looking for a well-made, wholesome experience, I'd argue this movie is a fine choice.