Soul Kitchen (2009)

Simply A Masterpiece

Purely Joyful Movie!

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

The reason I picked this up was that I had read/heard somewhere that this had inspired the movie 'Ustad Hotel' in 'malayalam' which I had enjoyed.Having seen excellent movies like The Trap/Troubled Water/L' Infante recently, I was not extremely impressed by this one but at the same time the movie is young and lovable.There are some original humor sequences.You may like the movie a whole lot or the movie may not touch you at all - depending on your frame of mind while you watch this.I liked the main protagonist of the movie. The back ache that he carries through out movie somehow aches your back as well while you watch the movie!. He goes easy on various people - letting his employees practice music in his dying restaurant , letting his tenant stay off rent , letting his brother run the business etc.That is how the main protagonist has been built.The movie is filled with short easy sequences - a nice watch.

Like always, Akin creates lovely characters. For a German it is fun to see Bleibtrue as a "typical German immigrant-part-time-criminal-hustler" talking the talk you'll recognize when u walk through Hamburg St. Pauli. Its just that the characters and the movie share the same problem: No deepness at all. Everything remains facile and this is why i never found a way into the movie. The story takes quiet stupid turns (contract lost, swallowing the button, dancing school fills the restaurant) that make the movie more seem like a fairytale (which would be okay if i had the feeling that is what Akin wanted). The humor in the movie is flat and predictable, some scenes id even call cheapest slapstick only kids up to 10 years could laugh at (funeral scene). The cook had a lot of potential, but is way too overdrawn...AND I STILL WONDER WHY THE HELL THERE WAS THIS ORGYSCENE ? ? ? It nearly got me leaving the cinema. What i liked was the soundtrack, the beautiful images of Hamburg and the little unimportant dialogues between certain characters. These were the only moments this movie seemed as "real" to me as Akin movies usually do.I apologise for my English...

It's been very nice watching something less Hollywood style, and yet rooted in soul music, but not only that - the whole plot is very interesting to follow in particular when it comes to relations among the characters. Really enjoyed this movie even if it comes in German language. In in this time of recession and global crisis the movies as well develops the plot about private property which becomes very important and therefore worth protecting. At certain point I was not sure if the owner of Soul Kitchen will be able to get it back as his situation was more than difficult, but there was such a twist at the end and it all ended just fine (glad for that)..Last but not least, I would most definitely recommend this movie to everyone interested in music and arts in general.

This frothy, light, slightly shapeless but endearing comedy is further proof of the protean nature of Akin's amazing talents. While nowhere near as good a film as his great, dark comedy-drama 'Head On' or his complex. philosophical 'The Edge of Heaven', I appreciate that Akin seems more interested in exploring different genres and stories than creating a signature style. This is the kind of comedy that makes you smile more than laugh, and is stronger on character and acting than on comic set pieces, but even the jokes that don't work aren't annoying.A shaggy, likable young Greek man living in Germany tries to start his own restaurant, juggling his ex-con brother, his out-of town girlfriend, his slightly insane chef, and a rival who wants to take over his space. It's not an 'important' film, but it captures something wonderful about being young and trying to find your place in the world.