Foodie Films Fantastical and Not . . .

I had a spate of movie watching lately, and many of those I watched had food-related themes. (Surprise, surprise!) This then led me to a spate of google-ing about food and the movies. So, here for your reading pleasure: a few short reviews of films I saw recently and then a few places to check out that focus on films and food. Alliteration -- what fun! And yes, I watched these long after most foodies did.

Waitress. Here's a movie with pies, spousal abuse, romance, maternal feelings and transformation through motherhood and being a decent person (the latter leads to [SPOILER ALERT] a sizeable inheritance which makes all else possible). Ok, the best parts of this movie were played by the pies; all sorts of pies, with weird and wonderful names. The worst of it might be that the second she looks at the kid -- even though she has resisted maternal feelings all along -- she turns into an utterly soupy mom type. The best of it may be that rather than go for the traditional redictable ending, complete with new non-abusive spouse, we get an equally traditional American business success story (though complete with a group of friends, all female -- oh so homoerotic. Not so much). For the official site (I think) click here (or, oh wait, maybe not) click here.

Ratatouille --- bestiality (ok, not really -- beastophilia, or even rodentophilia?) meets the ideology "everyone can cook." Oh, how inclusive. Yes, it is, I think a Disney production. The female presence is, perhaps not surprisingly, a romantic one for the rat. Yep, rat and girl live happily ever after? A cross-speciesism as renewed heterosexuality? Hmmm. Sounds like. . . The cooking scenes are, though, fun. Cooking as inspiration. Eating by the less exalted portrayed as garbage picking? Alas, for the somewhat unduly realistic rats (at least when in large groups) and, I suppose, hurrah for the animation which is apparently to die for. Hurrah, perhaps, for everyone can start (and sustain?) their own restaurant if they are a genius cook (even a rat). Not so much for the portrayal of Frenchmen? Where's the official site? I think here.

No Reservations is a film that, once again, brings together romance and the life of a chef. (In fact, it seems to have the same plot as another film, Mostly Martha.) [SPOILER ALERT!] The plot: Chef's sister dies. Child arrives to be taken care of. Child becomes integrated into chef's life -- and this in lovely ways becoem entangled with chef's new romance with a second chef. Heterosexual romance enacted in a restaurant kitchen. Bathos, yes. Foodie visuals, yes. Worth viewing -- yes.

A few sites to check out for lists and commentary (only on occasion) linking food and movies:

(1) An Amazon.com list of movies for food lovers: here

(2) An Amazon.com list great ethnic food movies: there

(3) A site devoted to food and movies: here

(4) A more expansive one -- food and eating and drinking in movies: right here

(5) Apparently even NPR cares: here

(6) But I only care about Chinese food in the movies: look there

(7) I am losing at a game of "best food scenes ever in the movies" -- but not if I look here

(8) I am losing at a trivia quiz on food and movies because. . . ;. I did not look here.

Ok, okay. Put the popcorn on. Tell us your faves and more. . . .

Comments

[Tracy]

I've been meaning to rent "No Reservations" ... thanks for the reminder. A good resource for when I don't know what to watch!

[The Other Kristen]

I cannot tell from your post if you've actually seen _Mostly Martha_, but yes, _No Reservations_ is a remake of it. _MM_ is not an old movie, and it's fantastic. I must confess that I haven't seen _NR_, so it's not fair of me to compare them, but _MM_ manages to avoid sappiness with its dark humor.

I've just discovered your blog, BTW, and am enjoying the recent posts. Thanks.