Spoiler He didn't care about wanting to make people happy. I think he was interested in ATJ, because she was not an expected guest, and he couldn't figure her out. He was curious enough to see if she could do something that wouldn't disappoint him, as all the other guests had done in one form or another. If she didn't, she would die like all of the rest, and no loss in his mind. If she was able to impress him, he was willing to let her go. Which she did by figuring out something that gave him simple pleasure for the first time in forever, and he let her leave. I think that was well done, and completely different than the bros demanding bread just because there was supposed to be bread. A very expected demand, which continuted to disappoint but not surprise Chef.
I didn’t like it. I thought I would but it had too many plot issues for me. Spoiler 1. If you’re going to die, die fighting at a chance in escaping. I can’t buy everyone just sitting there. 2. The chef telling an outsider his plans well in advance. That made no sense to me other than for a cheap twist/surprise. 3. Everyone on his staff willing to die. No one had a second thought. 4. Again, for a cheap twist, the boat guy pretending to help.
I thought it had some potential but the satire was mostly pretty weak and obvious. NettleBed’s comments in the posts on this thread pretty much articulate my feelings about it.
1) I can’t disagree 2) He was part of the ‘cult’ and they had been corresponding for sometime 3) Again, part of a cult 4) That didn’t bother me. He was impersonating the coast guard. I saw it as a ploy to prove to them how useless it would be for them to try and escape or get help.
Nah, at that point it was a weak screenwriting schtick to fake out the audience. That’s when the movie was done for me. I would believe at that point the guests would have finally rushed the chef and crew, not give up. It was dumb.
I have to disagree with that sentiment. History is full of examples of people patiently waiting for their death without making an effort to resist. It was dumb but it was a fun movie full of satire. It wasn't a study in realistic resistance to aggression.
We can agree to disagree. For my tastes, I feel satire still needs a small sense of believability to work. That scene didn’t work for me, nor the s’mores. I was going along with it but at that point, it went past fun and turned annoying for me. I still love the cast and basic story idea, but it didn’t convince me these folks/stereotypes deserved to die or would simply accept their fate. My reaction was they were not worn out, working class types exhausted by the grind of life such as the Chef and his staff. They would do whatever it took, by hook or crook, to get ahead. Most would have fought back. The story telling turned too convenient for its circumstance. My friends loved it so my expectations were high. On the other hand, my friends didn’t like Barbarian and I enjoyed that movie. That flick goes out on a crazy limb too, but seemed to work for me. We all have different tastes.
It’s definitely one of those movies that if you look to closely the seams are a little frayed. Still, I enjoyed it enough thanks to the acting and the basic idea, despite the complete unbelievability of most actions.
There's no way Slim Whitman can really ride an H-bomb in Dr. Strangelove, so that was sloppy weak writing and shtick.
I also agree that it got overly silly and too unbelievable for its own good; those elements detracted from the film’s quality. I’d heard good things about it so I was expecting it to be really good, but I thought it was, meh. It had its charms and was entertaining enough, but it wasn’t great. “Amusingly enjoyable but dumb,” I guess.
Lol! Dr. Strangelove>The Menu. Not even close in the same league in my book, but maybe in yours. Nothing lazy in Dr. Strangelove, it’s a brilliant film.
I don’t agree with your point. I can accept or reject any scene or movie I want. Art is subjective. It’s my opinion. What may work in one film may not work in another for me. It’s my reaction. I’m sure there are plenty of films we would agree upon, this just isn’t one of them.
To me, my point still stands. IMO, with dark comedy/satire, you have to be willing to suspend disbelief and accept certain things that don't conform to convention. I am able to do that with The Menu. I was able to do that with Dr. Strangelove.
I liked this movie, there was a lot of belief that needed to be suspended, but overall it was entertaining. At first I did not really understand the motives of all the chefs, but when thinking that it was a cult like atmosphere, it was easier to understand. what still doesn’t make sense is the whole barrel thing and what the sous chef said to the girl. Anyway, it was a fun dark comedy. I’m glad I watched.
Spoiler: Spoiler Chef was attempting to anger Elsa and make her resent Margot to the point that she would kill her. I assume Margot’s escape also meant Chef had more respect for her. Not only was Margot not impressed by the pretentious food, but she could defend herself rather than be a helpless victim. He respected her in a way that he did not respect any other guest because she was a fighter and he believed she saw the real him through their shared experiences of working for customers.
