The Menu was released on November 18, 2022. The movie stars Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes. There are of course other actors but these two make up the brunt of the movie. The film focuses on a couple who are visiting an exclusive restaurant on an island. A restaurant where the price of one dinner costs over $1200. There they meat a world renowned chef who has some odd and unexpected ingredients on his planned menu. The entire movie follows five parties who have chosen to pay for dinner at this restaurant. Each party has been chosen for one reason, but I am not going to give that away as that is part of the mystery of the story.
Ralph Fiennes is great as a chef who is so unhinged he isn't sure why he is cooking anymore - is it for people to eat, is it for the love of it, is it because he doesn't know what else to do - well, the audience is about to find out. I know some people will also enjoy the acting of Anya Taylor-Joy, but for me she seemed to be one note with one or two facial expressions. I wanted more from her in this movie - especially since she was so fabulous in movies like The Witch and Split.
Ms. Taylor-Joy plays Margot Mills, a young woman who was invited last minute to the dinner by a young man who considers himself a foodie, Tyler. Tyler is a real jerk and you see this early in the film in the way he talks to Margot. There is a lot I can't or don't want to say about this movie because it is so easy to give away the tiniest detail, but going into it you know from early on that something is not quite right with the people who are living and working on the island.
I enjoyed this movie, but I did want to know a little more about some of the characters. There was at least one couple who could have been better developed as I learned only a little bit about them and the wife seemed to be something of a lackluster character. She seemed to be int he movie only to drink and ask her husband if someone reminded him of their daughter. Yes, this does lead to a disturbing development later in the story, but not through the couple. I wanted there to be more emotion and development to the wife, played by the amazing Judith Light. Throughout the movie this was something I had an issue with, the character development, and I consistently wanted more.
The theme of the movie seems to revolve a lot around secrets and consumerism. We do things when think we should enjoy but we don't really know anything about because it is expected of us. For example - one of the characters is enamored of food, but does not know how to cook. One person goes because they "think" they are important and they can - they don't even really know if they will or do enjoy it. One person is there because they want another chance to review the chef, after helping make him who he is. It is all very interesting and makes me wonder about the ability to spend money on things we desire. How do we know we are the one desiring something, and how do we know if it is society telling us what we desire because of how it will make us feel or appear?
Anyway, I know this is not like most of my reviews, but I don't want to say too much and give it all away. Go see it, then we can discuss it.
Also, there is a new up and coming website that is making an attempt to become a better goodreads. I wrote a short article for them titled "The Best Zombie Books that Stick with You and Give You Nightmares. Check it out at shepherd.com/best-books/zombies-that-stick-with-you-and-give-you-nightmare
Ralph Fiennes is great as a chef who is so unhinged he isn't sure why he is cooking anymore - is it for people to eat, is it for the love of it, is it because he doesn't know what else to do - well, the audience is about to find out. I know some people will also enjoy the acting of Anya Taylor-Joy, but for me she seemed to be one note with one or two facial expressions. I wanted more from her in this movie - especially since she was so fabulous in movies like The Witch and Split.
Ms. Taylor-Joy plays Margot Mills, a young woman who was invited last minute to the dinner by a young man who considers himself a foodie, Tyler. Tyler is a real jerk and you see this early in the film in the way he talks to Margot. There is a lot I can't or don't want to say about this movie because it is so easy to give away the tiniest detail, but going into it you know from early on that something is not quite right with the people who are living and working on the island.
I enjoyed this movie, but I did want to know a little more about some of the characters. There was at least one couple who could have been better developed as I learned only a little bit about them and the wife seemed to be something of a lackluster character. She seemed to be int he movie only to drink and ask her husband if someone reminded him of their daughter. Yes, this does lead to a disturbing development later in the story, but not through the couple. I wanted there to be more emotion and development to the wife, played by the amazing Judith Light. Throughout the movie this was something I had an issue with, the character development, and I consistently wanted more.
The theme of the movie seems to revolve a lot around secrets and consumerism. We do things when think we should enjoy but we don't really know anything about because it is expected of us. For example - one of the characters is enamored of food, but does not know how to cook. One person goes because they "think" they are important and they can - they don't even really know if they will or do enjoy it. One person is there because they want another chance to review the chef, after helping make him who he is. It is all very interesting and makes me wonder about the ability to spend money on things we desire. How do we know we are the one desiring something, and how do we know if it is society telling us what we desire because of how it will make us feel or appear?
Anyway, I know this is not like most of my reviews, but I don't want to say too much and give it all away. Go see it, then we can discuss it.
Also, there is a new up and coming website that is making an attempt to become a better goodreads. I wrote a short article for them titled "The Best Zombie Books that Stick with You and Give You Nightmares. Check it out at shepherd.com/best-books/zombies-that-stick-with-you-and-give-you-nightmare
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