Food has always been part of the cinematic experience. From freshly made popcorn to hot-dogs, cinema and food have gone hand in hand for years. After all, those floors aren’t sticky all by themselves (and no, not for that reason either.) But what about movies about food? Can our love for the fine dine or chunky takeaway really translate will to the silver screen? The 25th of June sees the release of Chef, a movie about a restaurateur attempting to regain his passion for food. With that in mind, let’s have a look at some of the best tasty adventures in the kitchen of the cinema.
We all have food that makes us happy; be it a suger high or comfort food. But what if food could really make you laugh, cry or even levitate? Amanda Shelton, played by Sarah Michelle Gellar, finds this out first hand as she inherits her mother’s restaurant. Although she is not that great with the cooking skills, with the little help of a magical crab (no innuendo intended) her dishes become the hit of the town. Sure enough, people are clambering to get a slice of Amanda’s food. It is brilliant if a bit too far-fetched and some of the acting is shockingly forced. However, it’s a film that indulges your fantasies with magically delicious food.
Based on true stories, Julie & Julia follows the life of Julie Powell, who aims to complete the famous recipes of Julia Child; a famous American cook who attempted to bring French cuisine to popularity. Powell, in a well-known blog aimed to complete 514 meals in just 365 days, monitoring her progress and disasters as the days go by. Based on two popular books, My Life In France by Child and a memoir by Powell, the film has strong performances by two fantastic leading ladies, Meryl Streep and Amy Adams who stir up enough interest to make seemingly boring project incredible.
It’s a movie with Johnny Depp and chocolate, what more do you want from a film? Set in a fictional French village, Lansquennet-sous-Tannes, a young mother, Vianne (played by Juliette Binoche) played effortlessly by Juliette Binoche arrives with her six year old daughter. She causes outrage by opening a chocolatier during Lent. Her food soon begins to change the lives of the villagers and their sexual activities. With secret loves blooming, Vianne meets Roux (Depp,) and her own desires bloom. Delving into the dark love of temptation and throwing some sexy young things, the film delights with wittiness and a heart-warming family feel.
Even with the shockingly bad remake (who knew that a different film with Johnny Depp and chocolate could be so wrong?) Wonka's super brilliant and imaginative chocolate factory is a delightful film for children and food addicts. Imagine an ice cream that never melts, or a gobstopper that never stops. In Wonka's world, this isn't just a dream, it is a reality and soon Wonka invites five lucky children to view the secrets of his work. Despite this fortune, many of the children wind up in unfortunate circumstances.
With brilliant songs from the tiny Oompa Loompa's and a fabulous factory design that is incredible at capturing the imagination. It also boasts one of the most terrifying moment in children's movies as the boat takes a scary trip but other than that this film is a masterpiece.
At the beginning, you may be a bit sceptical about this film. For a start, the main character is a rat. So it maybe Disney’s style of rat with gooey eyes and clean fur, but it is still a rat. A rat, who due to his heightened sense of smell can cook food to damn near perfection. Teaming up with hapless garbage boy Linguini and following the advice of his idol Gasteux, Remy (the rat) becomes a famed cook in the heart of France. Boasting extremely great visuals, and enhancing the power of food, this is a surprisingly sweet Pixar movie.
If you love McDonald's perhaps you should watch this film and if you hate McDonald's, you should definitely watch this film. A famed documentary, Morgan Spurlock undergoes an experiment to dine three times a day at a McDonald’s restaurant to see if there are any negative effects. Along the way, Spurlock examines the way fast food chains advertise, lawsuits against the company, McDonald's addicts and how the food is made.
It is not for the faint-hearted but it is certainly an eye opener. Don't worry it isn't just a documentary; its insight and those a better job than Moore could ever ask for. There is all sorts of fun animated facts and information to keep you entertained if you find the premise slightly dull. Yet you shouldn't, you'll find out more facts about an industry that is controlling our world and life. It may be predictable but the results are terrifying and it is certainly one of the best movies about food there is.
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Chef is out 25th of June
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