Movie review by Neil Sadler
Starring: Dougray Scott, Claire Forlani, Simon Hepworth, Michelle Ryan, Peter Bowles, Cherie Lunghi
Director: James Hacking
Every now and then a film comes along that redefines the romantic comedy. LOVE’S KITCHEN is the very antithesis of that film. So predictable, it is hard to believe that it was actually written by humans. If there is a computer program that churns away and writes Hollywood movies – and there is string evidence that Michael Bay has been using this for years – then it could not have come up with a more heartless, contrived and empty plot than this film.
Dougray Scott is an up and coming chef who loses his wife in a tragic accident. His life stalls and only a visit from Gordon Ramsay and the love of food and a good woman get him back cooking and back on his feet, despite all the plots and contrivances to stop him getting his girl and his meal.
It is not that LOVE’S KITCHEN is a bad film. There is nothing offensive or intrinsically wrong with it. The direction is ok. No-one’s acting is that bad. Costumes, music, even the cameo by Gordon Ramsay are not appalling. It is just that as a whole, the film is about as enticing as a wet public holiday weekend. What plot there is, is ostensibly boy meets girl, loses girl, finds her again, and we know that whatever happens all will be right with the world in the end. What occasionally raises these films above the norm are good jokes and interesting characters and sadly neither are present here. I don’t think I laughed once. I groaned a little and looked at my watch a lot. Even the food was unexciting.
Sadly there is some good talent wasted here. A few years ago Dougray Scott was in line to be the latest British talent to be eaten up by the Hollywood star machine. If it did eat him, then sadly this is evidence of what happens at the other end of that machine.
Equally Michelle Ryan should have stuck with Eastenders for surely even it’s contrived scripts did her more justice than her rather pointless role as a lovelorn waitress.
I can only assume all involved did this film as a favour, but sadly this half-baked dish does nobody involved any favours.
