‘The Menu’ 2022 movie (now streaming on HBO Max) with Ralph Fiennes

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by wayneklein, Jan 8, 2023.

  1. wayneklein

    wayneklein Forum Fool Thread Starter

    Wow. An entertaining, dark black comedy. Fiennes is excellent as is Ana Taylor-Joy. It is a bizarre mixture of black comedy and a thriller (I wouldn’t call it horror).

    The Menu (2022 film) - Wikipedia
     
  2. mr. steak

    mr. steak Forum Resident

    Location:
    chandler az
    Watched it tonight. The wife and I loved it. Skewered so much and not just about the current food culture. Acting was top notch and the story was so fresh and interesting.
    We thought of it as a great thriller with slices of weirdness that could be seen as comedic touches. And no camp or winks or nudges, thank god. The bleakness in the Mess or Hoult's cooking was powerful.
     
  3. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    "What's this?"
    "It's a tortilla."
    "Yes, but, what is THIS?"
    "It's a mexican tortilla."
     
  4. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Enjoyable hokum
     
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  5. thegage

    thegage Forum Currency Nerd

    Spouse and I really enjoyed this. Some great surprises. While it is spot-on in its takedown of foodie culture, it equally skewers class structure and the sense of entitlement and privilege that great wealth brings.

    JohnK
     
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  6. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    very well done, enjoyable as all hell.

    highly recommended.
     
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  7. DLD

    DLD Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, Tx
    Nahh, the satire, I get and, the acting by Fiennes and Joy was excellent.

    SPOILER ALERT




    However, to presume that a chef's staff of 12 or so, would agree to die because he wants to extract revenge on a select group of people, is just silly. Also, one of the attendees agrees to attend knowing full well he will also die? GMAFB.
     
  8. Crack To The Egg

    Crack To The Egg Forum Resident

    Location:
    OR
    You may have missed some of the satire after all. The concept that you point to as being unbelievable is one of the key satirical elements in the film, that the cult of personality around chefs and strong beliefs about food effectively create literal cult like behavior.
     
  9. DLD

    DLD Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, Tx
    I missed nothing. I don't accept that the cult of personality around chefs is so strong that their staff would voluntarily die for them as would one of their customers

    Silly and utter Bollocks. Acting was fine and some scenes worked. Loved Margot/Erin for calling him out on the type of food he presented and his response.
     
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  10. Crack To The Egg

    Crack To The Egg Forum Resident

    Location:
    OR
    Let’s go back to Jonathan Swift, textbook satire. It’s not literal. Swift doesn’t reasonably think the poor should sell their children for food. It’s an exaggeration of a cultural point of view to make a point.

    It’s fine to not enjoy the satire, but criticizing satire for using one of the primary tools of satire (exaggeration) is a head scratcher that suggests you don’t really like satire and would prefer a more realistic take.
     
  11. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    I don't see Ralph Finnes's chef as that much less credible a cult leader than Marshall Applewhite, the leader of Heaven's Gate or Jim Jones of The People's Temple. And his food was a lot better than Snack Pack chocolate pudding, or Flavor Aid.
     
  12. DLD

    DLD Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, Tx
    I guess I'll now have to dislike the hundreds of satirical films I've loved over the last 50+ years of movie viewing. Thanks for clearing that up for me
     
  13. OldSoul

    OldSoul Don't you hear the wind blowin'?

    Location:
    NYC
    It was one of the underling chefs that suggested everyone should die. Everyone who was "serving" in some way had had enough, including the head Chef.
     
  14. DLD

    DLD Senior Member

    Location:
    Dallas, Tx
    SPOILER






    Oh, I see. One of the underling chefs had the choreographed immolation for everyone at the end of the meal planned. Thanks for clearing that up
     
  15. OldSoul

    OldSoul Don't you hear the wind blowin'?

    Location:
    NYC
    They were obviously all working together...
    Anyway. Great movie!
     
  16. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    I like Snack Pack pudding!
     
  17. Chris DeVoe

    Chris DeVoe RIP Vickie Mapes Williams (aka Equipoise)

    With ground up barbiturates to give it that extra zing?
     
  18. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    No way - straight from the cup. I'm no drug fiend!
     
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  19. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Thought it was a great movie, even better on the second viewing. And I hope it is not too much of a spoiler to say I searched out the best place for a real cheeseburger around here right after watching.
     
  20. vince

    vince Stan Ricker's son-in-law

    Having watched it a second time, it would've been funny if , at the end, we see Tyler's original date reading about the explosion of the restaurant, and she says, "I KNEW not to go!"
     
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  21. OldSoul

    OldSoul Don't you hear the wind blowin'?

    Location:
    NYC
    I got a cheese burger afterwards too.
     
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  22. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    what was in that cheeseburger?
     
  23. thegage

    thegage Forum Currency Nerd

    Onions, salt and pepper, good beef. Not sure there was anything suspect.

    JohnK
     
  24. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    It was just a well-made chesseburger.
     
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  25. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    And American cheese, the best kind of cheese for a cheeseburger.
     
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