La Cucina (2007)

Expected more

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

I saw this movie on Showtime, although it is now available on DVD & Blu-ray. What a great little indie film. I watched with a friend and we both thought, they just pulled pages out of my life! You feel like a fly on the wall in someone else's life, and yet it is like they are talking about yours. I loved it! The food is beautiful and the wine looks great. The conversation is thought provoking, the acting is fantastic, and you will be absolutely starving by the end!Leisha Hailey from the "L word" is so adorable as a pregnant neurotic newlywed. Rachel Hunter looks beautiful au naturele as a gourmet lesbian amateur chef. Christina Hendricks & Joaquim de Almeida all I can say is their is a whole lot of sensual heat in that kitchen! This movie is a great way to impress a girl and really gives guys something to think about!

I saw La Cucina at the Hollywood Film Festival and it's a great little movie that doesn't try to be something it's not. This film is a slice of life about the conversations and contradictions that make us who we are, and real-life conversations don't fit into perfect packages or tidy summaries like a high school philosophy paper. We all have contradictory thoughts/opinions/answers depending on how questions are framed. And I'm sure we've all had long conversations in the kitchen that help us figure out what we think and believe, without actually solving anything (no matter how much we think we've solved the world's problems after a few bottles of wine.) More importantly, many of us are great at giving advice to other people, but lousy at applying that advice to ourselves. More than simply an "odd moment" or scene transition, I thought the resident musician was a nice contrast to the complicated relationships unfolding in the neighboring apartments. He was like a non-verbal Greek Chorus, and a subtle reminder that maybe we should all stop talking so much about what we WISH WE WERE DOING and actually START DOING the things we love to do.

I saw this film at the Beloit International Film Festival (BIFF) in January. It focuses on 3 relationships in one apartment complex. After a terrible result creating lasagna, a pregnant wife seeks advice, comfort, food in Rachel Hunter's apartment. Rachel cooks while chatting with the pregnant woman about cooking and relationships.*SPOILER ALERT* If Rachel's character has so much wisdom about relationships and her perfect "partner", why is her partner cheating on her at a movie set and standing her up for dinner? Also, what army is she cooking for?*END OF SPOILER*Another neighbor is hosting a romantic supper with her lover/boyfriend. The movie covers their conversations and food preparations of the evening.*POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT* The inane conversation between the "younger woman/older man" is so tired. I was confused that the man seemed to argue for marriage and against it in the same conversation.*END OF SPOILER*Throw in some odd moments, like a man dressed as a super-hero in the courtyard or a neighbor practicing his guitar, presumably to handle the scene transitions for us and you have the mess that makes up the bulk of this film.The kitchens are stylish, some of the actors quite competent, but the film lacks the great profundity or depth it desires.After the film was over, the writer stood to polite applause and questions. She conveyed the idea that she felt the kitchen is central to a home and where many poignant conversations take place. She also said that some of the situations were patterned after people she knew. If people she knows speak like these characters, she needs to find more interesting people.Perhaps I am most disappointed when Rachel Hunter (in no way an actress) gave the strongest performance. If you are completely bored and have to clean out your sock drawer, this movie would be great in the background!