In the vein of popular recently released films and shows that deal with #richpeopleproblems, in “The Menu” we have a film where the Uber rich are confronted with their greatest affront: themselves.
I finally saw it! Now I can read your post and give my impression.
I really enjoyed it and loved seeing Ray Fiennes in a role he could chew the scenery in. And the way it built up the batshit-crazy slowly, and then, with the scene with the sous chef, ramp it up fast.
I found that the ending worked better in theory than in practice. I'm not sure why it felt flat to me. Maybe it ramped up the tension too fast and then had too much time left. It might have been a tonal thing too. It seemed to up the dark comedy more in the 2nd half, which is often the opposite in movies like this. Usually the dark comedy tends to give way to just dark when the plot becomes more the foreground.
I will say that the scene where they make Nicholas Hault cook was one of my favorites.
Overall I really liked it. I'm glad they didn't try to make it a "message" film and let it be an entertaining nut-fest. Other than the message that cheeseburgers (and I'll add impossible burgers to this) are what makes the majority of humans the happiest.
I loved The Menu! I don't watch/read a lot of horror. But when I do, I love the sort of horror story where I'm like, "This story seems normal, how is this horror?" Then BAM, something horrific happens. Steven King books can be like this. And the book "The Only Good Indians" is like that. In this regard, horror is very similar to comedy, in that good comedy can follow a story pattern we all recognize as reasonable, then suddenly the next step in the pattern is turned up to absurdity and you laugh. I'm sure this is not a revolutionary observation, but since I read/watch a lot of comedy but not a lot of horror, this pattern stuck out to me when watching The Menu.
I completely understand what you’re saying. It’s the element of anticipation and suspending belief for a moment when it doesn’t fit a pattern. I just finished “dead to me” (a dark comedy) and had these moments where I thought “omg this can’t be happening” and yet had to wrap my brain around this type of plot device being a constant. Whatever I was expecting was trumped and I like this.
I'm so excited to watch The Menu -- Since you noted spoilers I can't read your whole review, but very insightful opening about the hating on the 1%ers.
Go watch it and tell me what your thoughts are. I was excited to see it was in HBO Max and I could watch it from home. Two of the stars have been nominated for Golden Globes and while you watch, it’ll be clear which ones. Have fun!
I also only read the beginning of the article as I want to watch it, but it did remind me of the series finale of Atlanta which takes this skewering of overly pampered food theme and places it in the context of the African American experience. Season 4 was maybe the best yet and it ended strongly even if it didn't cry out “series finale.”
I never watched “Atlanta” but the temperamental and angry chef as artiste theme here is felt. The most grating character in this movie is admittedly the foodie guy because he’s so pretentious and elevates the food and Fiennes’ character to almost alter-like status. Watch it though and tell me what you think.
I finally saw it! Now I can read your post and give my impression.
I really enjoyed it and loved seeing Ray Fiennes in a role he could chew the scenery in. And the way it built up the batshit-crazy slowly, and then, with the scene with the sous chef, ramp it up fast.
I found that the ending worked better in theory than in practice. I'm not sure why it felt flat to me. Maybe it ramped up the tension too fast and then had too much time left. It might have been a tonal thing too. It seemed to up the dark comedy more in the 2nd half, which is often the opposite in movies like this. Usually the dark comedy tends to give way to just dark when the plot becomes more the foreground.
I will say that the scene where they make Nicholas Hault cook was one of my favorites.
Overall I really liked it. I'm glad they didn't try to make it a "message" film and let it be an entertaining nut-fest. Other than the message that cheeseburgers (and I'll add impossible burgers to this) are what makes the majority of humans the happiest.
Tofu burger?
Um, no. Even vegetarians don't like tofu burgers. Though I might prefer Beyond Burgers over Impossible Burgers.
I loved The Menu! I don't watch/read a lot of horror. But when I do, I love the sort of horror story where I'm like, "This story seems normal, how is this horror?" Then BAM, something horrific happens. Steven King books can be like this. And the book "The Only Good Indians" is like that. In this regard, horror is very similar to comedy, in that good comedy can follow a story pattern we all recognize as reasonable, then suddenly the next step in the pattern is turned up to absurdity and you laugh. I'm sure this is not a revolutionary observation, but since I read/watch a lot of comedy but not a lot of horror, this pattern stuck out to me when watching The Menu.
I completely understand what you’re saying. It’s the element of anticipation and suspending belief for a moment when it doesn’t fit a pattern. I just finished “dead to me” (a dark comedy) and had these moments where I thought “omg this can’t be happening” and yet had to wrap my brain around this type of plot device being a constant. Whatever I was expecting was trumped and I like this.
I'm so excited to watch The Menu -- Since you noted spoilers I can't read your whole review, but very insightful opening about the hating on the 1%ers.
Go watch it and tell me what your thoughts are. I was excited to see it was in HBO Max and I could watch it from home. Two of the stars have been nominated for Golden Globes and while you watch, it’ll be clear which ones. Have fun!
I also only read the beginning of the article as I want to watch it, but it did remind me of the series finale of Atlanta which takes this skewering of overly pampered food theme and places it in the context of the African American experience. Season 4 was maybe the best yet and it ended strongly even if it didn't cry out “series finale.”
I never watched “Atlanta” but the temperamental and angry chef as artiste theme here is felt. The most grating character in this movie is admittedly the foodie guy because he’s so pretentious and elevates the food and Fiennes’ character to almost alter-like status. Watch it though and tell me what you think.