UNHAPPY EATING | Former Cook Reacts to and Analyzes The Menu (2022)
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- Опубліковано 23 січ 2023
- This movie rec felt a little targeted ngl. Either way, this was a treat to wat and I'm so sorry it's late. Thank you for your patience!
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I also think it's worth noting a little detail in that the cheesburger is made with bread. Bread which none of the customers were given.
Shocking how few catch the bit at the beginning about the day old meat and her request for a burger made of beef... Margot died anyway, she just didn't know when it was coming and that was his bit of mercy on her who didn't even belong there.
@@cyspiegel8603 The whole bacteria thing was a throwaway joke, that's not how bacteria works. Erin lived. Sure she's going to have to explain what happens but her life's not in anymore danger than floating around on a boat with a dead engine.
There's also an often theme of bread being a working class food, back to the original Latin phrase 'bread and circus' as a way to keep working class population complacent and satisfied. Bread is also the most common across almost every culture in the entire world. Almost every culture has a form of bread or other type of food, so many people consider bread to be almost synonymous with humanity and kindness
So I actually saw it, yeah that's stated quite literally in the movie. Lmfao.
@cyspiegel8603 she didn't die.
Honestly, its less that Erin is an eater/taker , its more along the lines that the interaction at the end between her and Slowik was a transaction between service workers . Nothing more , nothing less. She gave him the chance to feel like an artist again and he gave her the freedom to walk away from a "dish" she shouldn't have been in to begin with.
Exactly!!!!!
Which is fun, because he never, ever, cooked something. He was just ehre watching. Then Erin asks for a cheeseburger, and he's like: "Yeah, that's my specialty. Only I can do that."
I think the ending shows that Erin/Margot is good at her job. Her job as an SW is not just about sex, but about meeting the emotional needs of her clients -- and more the latter than the former. She figures out what Slawik needs and gives it to him. She gave him a reminder of what had made him happy, what drew him into the industry in the first place. No, it was not enough to redeem him, but it was enough for him to recognize that she was what he claimed to be -- a giver -- and that because of that it would be unfair for him to take her life.
Is it bad I haven’t her ending monologue memorized
You can even extend this to say that in her ending she was not satisfied by the act of giving him what he was craving because, just like Slawik, she hasn’t felt the joy in her work in a long time. It was just another job to her, from the way she handled the menu and stared with a jaded look as she ate the cheeseburger.
I love this view of it. Of Erin finding her way back to her roots and passions the same way she helped slowik find his way with the burger
Huh. I like that.
Yeah, that was my conclusion as well. She applied her skills to survive the situation.
50:04 there’s a deleted scene that explains why the chef got fed up with everything. at the height of his career, he quit cooking and essentially disappeared and just cooked at some korean taco truck. until the food critic found him again, wrote an article about his whereabouts, blew up, and is the reason why he got the funding for the island
this scene happened while everyone was on the boat heading to the island
I love that a lot but I see why they cut it structurally. I do wish they had mentioned it in dialogue, like if he said it to the critic or something.
@bananaboatcharlie7460 I think that's what the map line; "And on what map would that be, specifically?" Was meant to refer to.
Didn't have to take the money though.
@@mariposa9506 He got the money to hide, if they found him in the taco truck where he first escaped to, now at least it would cost them an arm and a leg to come find him again, a small victory. But the funding came with strings.
@@silvsevieI think it’s more of a dread thing where no matter where he goes, he’s going to be found out, harassed and dragged back into a career he ultimately hates until the day he dies
I think Tyler’s suicide was Slowik’s most exquisite punishment. Here was a man so caught up in the mysticism around haute cuisine-the whole “chefs cook on the edge using the very tools of life/death, where God lives” and such-that he VOLUNTARILY came there-and paid-to die as part of the culinary experience, callously signing Erin’s death warrant in the process. And once Chef called his bluff-and he was exposed for the fraud he was-Chef denied him the chance to become an ingredient in the glorious foodie death he craved. It’s almost tragic in a way, because you can see the death of Tyler’s twisted dream in his eyes as he goes to hang himself.
Great analysis, except one thing:
He thought Chef was going to spare him.
@@videohistory722 You think so?
@@melliemel151 I know so! I read the script!
@@videohistory722 interesting! I’d like to hear more about that
@@melliemel151 not much else to tell, other than he didn't regret doing it.
The guests not fighting to survive was the reflection of the guests never having to fight for anything because everything was always given to them
Exactly. They don't know how to actually survive on their own.
Which is why rich people are trash
I've heard that Margo wasn't originaly supposed to punch Tyler. She was supposed to just stare shocked and sadly and shed a tear. But the actress didn't like it and sugested that it would be better if she would punch Tyler instead. Director agreed aaaaand... Yeah 😅😄
This was very true, and they admitted to it in an interview. Was funny to see them talk about it.
From the interview I heard I think anya Taylor joy and the actor who played Tyler agreed on the punch before the shoot without telling the director and it was improvised iirc and the director thought it was good and left it in
Sometimes the performers can do something better for the movie than the director; look at Harrison Ford in both Indiana Jones AND Star Wars.
To be fair, the audience would be lining up behind her to give Tyler wallops as well. Think of that famous scene from Airplane where the whole plane has weapons to “calm down” one panicking passenger.
“I have a thing about feminine rage :)” I absolutely love that interview w her
Your lambasting of Tyler throughout the movie was honestly such a serve, his entire trope made me SO ANGRY. Hoult's acting was to perfection here for that very reason, but from the perspective of someone who grew up in high society social circles without wanting to be there, Hoult's trope during this movie was the type of person that made me want to break every single rule of high society lmao
Nicolas Hoult is SO GOOD at playing assholes. I don't think he is one in real life, but the way he plays them and even does little idiosyncrasies like them is so real that it makes me wonder just how many assholes he's encountered irl.
When she said, “SHUT UP TYLER!!!” I was so annoyed by him the whole time. Tyler’s b.s. made me cackle.
Please show this movie to some of those high society people. Show them how much the chefs “love them”
Cute little behind the scenes detail:
Typically in movies when you see them eating, they either take small bites to avoid filling up or spit it out once the cameras stop rolling.
Nathan Foad actually IS eating everything, to keep in character!
Hating Tyler showed what a great actor played him.
My understanding is that the critic was eventually waterborne with broken emulsion, but the scene was cut for triggering people. They literally shoved it down her throat, drowning her in a single mistake.
I noticed on re-watch that her hair is wet and orange in the last few scenes.
We need that deleted scene in the DVD 📀.
I heard that too, which makes her appearance later where she looks like she was soaked in something make more sense.
I don't think the wife knew about the intent of the menu, but I think she realized that Slowik was correct about her being a thankless consumer, stuck in a dead-end marriage with a man she despises. She, like the others, just bowes down and accepts her fate. I also got the feeling she was always aware her husband was unfaithful (hence the cold, passive-aggressive atmosphere between them), but what shocked her was that he was specifically and intentionally sleeping with a woman who looks like their daughter, and the darker implications of that, which is why she is fine with him dying.
I also think it was a great touch that she didn't show animosity towards Erin/Margot. So often you get catfights between the cheated wife and the SW in fictional media, when it was the husband who cheated. The SW is just doing her job. I liked that the wife gave Erin an approving nod when she left, showing that she isn't mad at her or wants her to get hurt. She understood that Erin was not the one she should blame.
Holy shit, the level of foreshadowing that you caught in all of the dishes is AWESOME! On first viewing I just assumed they were mostly just designed to be overly-complicated and pretentious - it didn't even occur to me that the Chef was speaking to them in his chosen language the whole night. :)
Tyler said, the food was about the storytelling. ~cough~
I feel like most of us don’t have a decent understanding of the symbolism behind these overly complicated, pretentious and deconstructed meals.
Yes, I needed to hear a take like this. Deepened my understanding of the meaning of the actual courses.
@@TheSurrealist. I think it makes it even more hilarious that way. You would have to be from one of the two groups in the film to pick up on it- a foodie with a ton of (effectively useless) knowledge or an experienced professional recognising an inside joke. Or, I suppose, someone with a genuine passion for food. I didn't catch many of them myself, and I worked fine dining for years (the pressure-cooked vegetables did make me chuckle, but the "everything in that kitchen is pressure cooked" joke is an old one). Also leads into the whole "obsession vs passion" bit at the end, the level of detail put into it shows an obsession that is rather stunning. It also almost vindicates Slowik in a way- none of the diners picked up on it despite waxing lyrical about how subtle and devious and meaningful the food was, though that one is a stretch. It does kind of work for Tyler though, especially with him going on and on about how food is poetry and the like and then asking if the tea has bergamot in it and expecting praise for noticing. Bergamot isn't exactly a subtle flavour, quite the opposite.
The first time I watched this, each meal felt like something Iron Chef Crenn would do because there was a definitely story in every millimeter of the plate - including the fact that the chicken thigh with the scissors *was being served **_on a telephone cord!_* - and she always cooks that way. Then I watched a video on the behind the scenes and discovered it WAS Iron Chef Crenn who designed all the dishes! The foreshadowing makes perfect sense now.
Julian Slowik calling Richard a donkey is the icing on the cake. I got Gordon Ramsay vibes from that. Also, the Tyler’s Bullshit scene was funny too
I also wonder if it wasn't taken from Slovak language. He mentioned he grew up in Bratislava which is in Slovakia. And we Slovaks have a common swear phrase "ty somár" which means "you donkey" (we have two translations for donkey. Osol and somár. Somár is more rude and commonly used also as a "synonymn" for idiot, dumass,...).
But yeah, it could be from Gordon Ramsay, too. I liked your observation. 🙂
That is the second best Ralph Fiennes insult after the "you're an inanimate object!" from In Bruges.
Okay, but with the female chef. I imagine that the pitch was the end of her being ignored. Like she had been throwing out pitches for months, pretty much to herself at that point, and she just says “what if everybody dies? We just kill all the customers and ourselves.” And then Chef finally looks at her for the first time in 8 months
Ooh I like that!
One thing that's been pointed out to me is that Slowik has gathered these guests together because they're "eaters", yes, but they also represent what he hates about himself. The overly harsh critic, the sycophant, the aging passionless professional, the prestige hungerer, the terrible customer, the name dropper, and so on. As he puts it, he's a monster. He isn't killing for "justice" or "revenge" -- he's just killing because he wants to. And himself perhaps most of all.
John Leguizamo's character was never named. :) So no surprise you couldn't remember, lol.
His character was based on Steven Segall, an actor that Leguizamo had the misfortune to co-star with on "The Assault"...
I thought he was named, given how he goes on about the fact his assistant gave his real name to Elsa
@@finnvost9349 I would have assumed so too, but apparently that was ad-libbed - the script left him nameless.
@@myboatforacar huh, whoda thunk
Makes sense though
He actually kills the actor because as he states
“what use does an artist have, whose lost the passion for their craft”
which ass you mentioned is also himself
he has no more love or passion for his art therefore to him the only option is to die
So why not te washed up actor too?
I think something that I haven't seen discussed so much is the price of the burger. Erin asks for a burger at a fair price, what she expects food, she gets what she wanted and leaves satisfied, and the chef is happy to serve her. The restaurant's elite clientele pay an exorbitant amount, but they demand even increasing perfection, they're never satisfied, and show no appreciation for the work put into the food, despite him and his staff dedicating their lives to this food. The customers want a unique once-in-a-lifetime experience, and this is what the chef ultimately gives them. He gives them his life, and the lives of his staff, but they must pay for it with their lives. It's the ultimate expression of his obsession with perfection, while also being a reflection of this perverted client-server relationship.
Oooo so I didn't think the wife KNEW I just thought she was broken by the whole experience that she finally understood how thankless she and her husband had been to the chef (not able to remember a single dish of the 11 times they had been there) and that she was thanking him now for his services to her.
But I kinda like your interpretation more! Love the video 💗💗💗
I mightve manifested it because I hated the husband so much lol
@doctorcanonVO lol fair!!!!
I also had a theory that Chef just told Tyler "you are no longer part of my menu. You're not allowed to eat anything else" or something like that instead of telling him to hang himself
@@rincaimo812 something like "you are free to go, leave however you wish."
I took that to mean she knew about the cheating.
@@JeshuaSquirrel I to it as she'd always known about the cheating. But his reaction to the comment of Margot/Erin looking like their daughter, paired with the tortilla, and Margot's confirmation. Made her realize there was a much bigger problem
“He’s immune to the fire”. Literally! He has heat proof hands. It’s something he needed to develop to be “good” at his job and may even be something he prides himself in but also means he can’t actually feel anything. He can’t be hurt by the fire or by the people he serves. But as a result he can’t feel any of the good things. I love your commentary on this.
Funny side note- there was an emulsion ‘water boarding’ scene with the critic, which was cut from the film. So you weren’t far off with the expectation that Elsa would shove her face into the bowl. 😂 By the way, I *loved* the character of Elsa, too. ☺️
When I first watched the movie, I also thought, “ugh, why are they taking Jeremy’s body through the kitchen?” too. Then I had to remember… he was _part_ of the menu. 😎🤣
Ralph Fiennes killed it in this movie, no pun intended, haha. His portrayal of Slowik was indeed menacing. I was at home saying _yes, chef!_ like I was part of the crew. 😂😂 Especially when he started having people taken out. Technically he’s a mass murderer, not a serial killer but that’s neither here nor there because he still made me feel like I was in danger through the screen. 😂
Friend, you clearly intended that pun 😝
@@ShadowPhoenix82 😎😏
He’s also a cult leader. His entire staff is a cult and the restaurant island is their compound.
John Leguizamos character actually doesn't have a name. It's just "movie star", since the joke is that no one knows who he is. I laughed so hard when I saw that in the cast list
His assistant does briefly name him as "John Diaz" when they arrive on the island. It's a very blink-and-you'll-miss-it line, but it's a nice detail that NOBODY knows who he is despite him playing up the 'i'm important' shtick just like most of the others there did.
Ralph is scarier in this than he ever was a Voldemort. His cadence and his delivery is so freaking incredible.
He’s at his most terrifying in Schindler’s List.
I love your analysis of the dishes themselves!
Same!!!
It adds another layer, and shows how much thought went into it.
So in the script, it just called for Margot to sit there and cry upon finding out Tyler brought her there knowing she was going to die. Anya herself said no, and that's how we got her just straight up losing her shit on him.
Here's the full quote:
"I have a thing about feminine rage. Which people think for some reason and this is no disrespect to any writer - I get a lot of, like, 'men doing really terrible things' and women sitting silently while one tear slowly falls. And I'm like, "Oh no no no no no. We get mad, and angry."
The first time I watched this movie was with my best friend, who works as a head chef at one of the most famous ski resorts in the United States, and while I would’ve loved this movie regardless, watching it with her made the movie so much better. My best friend understood this movie on a level I could never because she’s worked in that type of kitchen from the moment she graduated culinary school. Her watching the movie was so entertaining for me because I could see how cathartic the movie was for her. She’s had the exact type of customers that were in this movie every single day, and by the end of the movie she looked so satisfied and almost vindicated. She also talked a lot about the movie and broke it down while we watched it and after, and discussed everything from what you were saying about the food preparation, as well as the amount of cult like devotion members of a staff will have towards an executive chef that they work under, even under conditions that can only be considered abusive. It was honestly really cool to see and I’m not sure that I’ll have another experience like that again with the film.
This is what I love about the movie. In other corners, a lot of ink has been spilled about how the movie is a rather on the nose, Aronofsky-esque metaphor, in this case, making movies. For example, while Even Less Interesting Cyclops represents a very real type of culinary snob, he also represents the modern film blogosphere, social media, wikis, etc.
And while the metaphor is strong (and admittedly applicable to anyone trying to sell art), there is also so much that is so specific to the culinary world that no one talks about. It’s wild that we have a job where it’s allowed and normal for you to work multiple days for free as an “interview” and then not get the job (if there even was a job and they weren’t just short staffed for a week). And it’s wild that we have a job where it’s normal and allowed to be paid below minimum wage. And it’s really fucking wild that both those jobs are the bottom-rung jobs IN THE SAME WORKPLACE.
re food preparation and gloves: I've been told by chefs that in food preparation, clean bare hands are actually more hygienic than gloved hands, because you're less likely to frequently wash your hands if you're wearing gloves and you may not change them as frequently as you should, i.e. whenever you touched an unclean surface or got sth stuck to your hand or whatever.
I think we can all agree that we wanted a cheeseburger after seeing that last scene
We looked for a burger place that was still open, but couldn't find one sadly.
After I watched the film I had a few days of madness where all I could eat was burgers. It was great. Terrible for me but great.
@@GrumpyDragon527 omg lol
Yep. I make them now, and I make them like that now.
I call that 🍔 "The Hawthorn" and want one every time I see the movie!
The sommelier is my favorite side character lol he's having the time of his life
My husband said "he's everything Slowick cant express" and I've been a mess ever since. 🤣
While sounding like he's making up the comments about the wine on the spot.
As a server and waitor he is my spirit animal but more often than not, I am Elsa. 😂
Tastes like black currant, brandy cask, and regret. LMAO.
If you want more of Hong Chau, the actress who played Elsa, she absolutely smashed it as the villain in the Watchmen TV series.
She was also in "The Whale"
the broken emulsion thing has been sitting in my brain since i saw the movie. the sauce was supposed to be 'broken.' it was served that way on purpose. broken sauces may be undesirable in western cooking, but it's desirable in some south and southeast asian sauces and gravies; there's a flavorful oil over the more fibrous sauce underneath, providing a different eating experience than an emulsified sauce. apparently that scene was originally supposed to escalate until the critic was nearly waterboarded in emulsion (so i've heard) which just serves the purpose of the bit for me: she thinks she knows better than they do. she's right in that a restaurant of that caliber wouldn't make a mistake like that, and they'd have to shove her face in it for her to get that it was on purpose.
One small thing I saw others mention about Lilian, the food critic, which makes her even more infuriatingly fake, is that she's two steps shy of a chain-smoker. Her tastebuds have long since been fried, yet she still keeps up the act of being able to taste all this high-class food and give real critique on it. She's wrecked aspiring chefs' careers, all while she couldn't even taste the food they made her.
No wonder Slowik hated her. She didn't just drag him back out of obscurity, when he tried to escape the life and chase his happiness by doing streetfood as a random owner of a taco truck in a foreign country, but she's as big of a pretentious liar as he is. He's a chef, who hates his cooking, and she's a critic, who can't taste a damn thing. Liars, who everyone praises as geniuses, but only like due to their star status.
Based on how hard Tyler was gobbling Slowiks nuts I feel like chef just told him he wasn’t a part of the menu anymore and to just leave. I feel like even after the humiliation Tyler would have preferred chef taking him out rather than not at all.
Also amazing analysis especially the ones about the dishes!! I thought it was super cool!
I understand why they cut the waterboarding scene but I think it would have been an amazing addition to the movie and get that big emulsion payoff. I read the screenplqy and it had a sharp cut between the quiet suspense in the chefs cabin to the restaurant, where Lilian bloom is getting waterboarded and John leguazamo is getting forcefed peanuts which in the movie he's allergic to
As a 43 yr veteran of the food service industry, I am loving this reaction!
Was once a hostess. I remember not being able to say no less I am insulted or called stupid was hard on my mental health, especially when it came to discounts. I was only 19 when a soldier and extended family were yelling at me for not applying a 15% discount to everyone’s meals (policy was just active duty or veterans). Very good movie!
Another thing about the Man's Folly dish. I felt like it represented SA/harassment as well. And like she said, men get to escape their crimes with slaps on the wrist if they are ever brought to justice, but women cannot escape the trauma of the event. And the dish is really acidic and bitter because it represents the resentment and pain that the women have to keep bottled up if they want to survive the trauma or at least cope with it. Only the women have to eat this dish
That's a really good point! I think it makes sense since the cook mentioned Slowik wanted to fuck her, and he got away with dehumanizing her the entire time she worked for him. Not to mention, the way the other women had no way of consoling her is similar to how many SA victims struggles to share their trauma, as their experience isolated them from those who have no idea what that misery is like
I thought he had mercy on Margot because she gave him his last moment of happiness that he hadn't felt in many years. She impressed him by recognizing how badly she wanted to be spared by cleverly using what she had learned/gained core insight regarding him, his past, his motives and using that.
I loved the analytical part here cause this taught me a lot about the movie along with the parts where you explained the menu because I didn't understand those parts while watching the film!! Also I love your take on the wife knowing all along and wanting her husband dead. It's just so interesting!
Maybe thats why they went for the husband's ring finger
I still half expected that cheeseburger to be made of locally sourced Tyler.
Honestly same.
I love that the chef was paying more attention to her than Tyler the guy who was worshipping him
"You don't have to deconstruct everything, sometimes the food it's just enough"... as a fellow cook, chef, whatever, who really cares, of 20 years all i have to say to that is CAN I HAVE AN AMEN FOR MY SISTER!! 👏👏👏
Everybody say that Margot reminded Chef of his happy times and that's why she escaped. It is true, but it is not the only thing that happened there. She created for him new sub-line for his plan, new addition to his menu: a human being not complicit to his misery. Not a giver and not a taker. Just a customer who can appreciate well done food. The real customer for whom good cook is happy to deliver his meal. And, in the context of this movie, worhty of getting it.
BTW it is the best analysis of this movie that I saw, cudos!
I thought the Tyler’s BS title card was the best part of the movie. It was so hilarious 🤣 And then we see his hung body.
He still had his pants on, how do you know he was hung?
@@chriswhinery925 the pants are quite thin
A point of clarification. Slowik didn't kill John Leguizamo's character because he didn't like him. He states clearly that it haunted him because he saw what happened to an artist that had lost his passion and conviction for the art and was just going through the motions at the behest of others. I think of all of them, he felt he was doing JL a favor by ending his unfulfilling life.
I almost chocked on my drink when you said “Tastes like bulls***” just knowing what was coming up.😂
Loved your reaction. I believe the wife didn’t deserve your pity. The wife knew her husband most likely cheats on her but never left her husband. I believe the husband also abused their daughter as they mentioned they hadn’t spoken to her in a very long time. The fact Margot looking like his daughter is why he hired her as an escort. I believe the wife also knew what happened to her daughter or at least found herself in a position where she chose him instead of her child. I say all this to say while she didn’t deserve to die as much as any one in that room, I believe she was just as guilty as any of them.
I think a lot of her mannerisms and such were more acting choices by Judith Light than anything is the script.
@@doctorcanonvo4647 39:10 who's that man represented ?
The wife might have been abused to, I’m not saying she is or isn’t but there’s a possibility. And you’re saying this all on a belief and not fact, just like how I’m doing so to. I think people have the right to feel sympathetic for the wife for being cheated on.
This is the best reaction to this movie I have seen so far oml. I love how you analyzed it and explained everything precisely, even while watching it for the first time. Your take on this movie is just astonishing😭You pointed out every single detail perfectly.
I also love how you called Slowik out for pretending that he was egoless when the whole menu is his ego making one last final contribution in his mind.
[you]: "One day our pastry chef just up and disappeared."
[everyone with any culinary experience]: "As they tend to do."
The fact that you pointed out the suicide rate among chefs I really appreciate. Though I was not a chef or server at the restaurant I worked at while back for 7 years after graduating high school (I was a dishwasher then worked my way to prep.) I noticed the pressure and stress of the different positions of the entire staff both front and back of the house along with experiencing my own kind of pressure and stress, it was quick too learn how depressing this kind of atmosphere genuinely can be. I actually became depressed myself from the job and lost a good amount of ambition towards my goals. A lot of people within this industry end up turning to alcohol or drugs to ease their edge and pain from a day at work and it can make their life worse. I've seen it first hand. I worked at a corporate restarant so I can't speak for family owned/small business resturants. Another thing I appreciate was how you mentioned how chefs talk to their sous chefs. Many managers and higher staff cooks at restaruants will degrade others who work at the lower level within the operation of the business. ("You'll never be a cook. You suck. There's no way you'll be able to be a server or work the line, etc.) The thing that makes it worse is, they're not merely talking crap. They mean it, and if you attempt to prove them wrong and fail, embarrasment can an understatment. It can really put quite a toll on one's mind and break their spirit. I also love how you pointed out the grief within the film cause it made me notice the grief stages of each dish that I didn't realize before. The Island = Denial (a bizzare questionable dish) Breadless plate= Anger (annoying the customers with no bread), Memory= Bargaining (the obsession of memories), The Mess= Depression (suicide contemplations). I feel Man's Folly was a final test from Slowick of their actual characters true colors, and the Smores = Acceptance (accepting the end). When I quit to move on to other paths, I first said that job took those years off my life. Then I started to actually appreciate working those 7 years because of how much it taught me about not only the service industry but the real world in general. Your reaction was as entertaining to watch as the movie itself. Really enjoyed it. Thank you. Also if you wanna see Hong Chau in more things, you might wanna check out The Whale, but be warned, it's very very very very sad.
This was a lovely, thorough analysis of the Chef’s motives that many write off as merely psychotic (which, though true, i view as overly simplistic)
One thing every reactor fails to talk about, though, that even Slowik does himself, is all the ways that he's part of the problem and is really not different than all his customers, eventhough he hates them.
He's not a short order cook living paycheck to paycheck. He's chef at the top of his field. He could have any life he wanted. He doesn't have to work at a restaurant that charges $1250 per person. He could run any restaurant he wanted. He could retire from the kitchen. He could be come a food critic himself and dethrone Lillian Bloom.
The reason that he doesn't, though, (and yes, I have seen the Korean taco truck cut scene), is because he's a cult leader at heart. He needs the adoration and worship of foodies, and critics, and sous chefs, eventhough it also makes him miserable...so he makes everyone miserable around him. That's how he got an entire workforce of people, who are obviously very talented in their fields and could get another job, to a point where they're suicidal and homicidal.
People just interpret this as "haha, kill the obnoxious, bullshit rich people!" but don't realize that Slowik himself is one of those people...which is why he also dies at the end.
He said so...that he is/was a monster and a whore. He knew exactly that which he'd become and thus the cleansing by fire and we notice too that when he drops that ember he's the first one on fire. So yes...he knew. He just made damned sure that these ppl staff and especially customers knew too. Even the customers professed love for him "Yes Chef" and even Mrs. Librand (sorry if it's misspelled) mouthed "Thank you."
This is the fifth or sixth reaction video I've watched for "The Menu," and it's easily the best! Of course, your understanding of food and the food industry is invaluable, but so is your analysis of blocking/posture, sound/music, costumes, characters, etc. Thanks to watching this video, I actually feel I understand more about what the filmmakers were saying, which is something I haven't gotten from any of the other reaction videos. I'm subscribing and watching more of your videos. This is one recommendation the UA-cam algorithm got right!
Funny that you thought at any point Elsa was going to shove the critic's face in a bowl of emulsion, because apparently that originally happened! That's why she has wet hair in the last scenes. The scene was removed from the movie for being a bit too dark for the delicate balance of the tone the rest of the movie was going for.
I love this movie, and have seen several reaction videos, but yours is just the best out there. Your knowledge of the industry and how you explained the dishes, the foreshadowing and everything, absolutely gave me even more appreciation for the film. Also, I would 10000% watch your dissertation on that wine guy. I want to know now. I could tell something was off about him but I just don't get it
As a former server (and maybe future server if my current job goes belly up) I cannot express how good it felt when Elsa told the finance bro "No." The number of times I've wanted to look a guest in the eye and tell them flat out that I can't do something or that they're being ridiculous, overly demanding, or flat out rude is bananas. Back when I worked at cracker barrel, I had a guy come in and ask for a glass of butter milk - the milk we used to make the biscuits, and the look on his face when I told him that for safety reasons, I couldn't do that was priceless. He tried to argue with me and my manager both saying that he didn't care, he wanted to take on the risk and sulked for the rest of the meal. Also the number of times I had people ask if they can replace their eggs with country ham/bacon/french toast. I loved my job when it was good, when I had people that looked me in the eye and treated me like a person, but there's so much bad in there that it makes me never want to go back if I don't have to.
Side note, I also have less feeling in my fingers because of hot plates and hot food. Once upon a time I could carry a scalding hot tray from the BOH to the table without flinching. Every time I flip something in the oven with my bare fingers, my fiancee cringes. She has "baby hands" as she calls it since she's never worked in a restaurant.
Your experience and knowledge on the subject make this an incredible reaction. Thank you, as always, for all your humor and insight!
Also: Tyler was not nervous about the “everyone dies” plot because he was so entitled that he believed himself special enough that Slowik would make an exception for him. Thus, his public humiliation (“deconstruction”) by his own idol was even more effective to cut him down at the knees.
I love that when he made her the cheeseburger, he got to feel joy in cooking one last time and I think that is the main reason he let her escape.
At the end before Erin claps her hands, her lips are blue. She looks dead as she is at the table, claps, and walks to the Chef.
After she eats the burger, her lips are red and she looks alive again. He gave her life via the burger, because she gave him what he needed at the end of his life.
He's still a monster, though.
HEY!!!!! With the broken emulsion stuff for Lilian, I recently read there was originally a deleted concept for that. The emulsion bowls were going to get bigger and bigger to emphasis how pointless complaining about one little thing eventually having a huge impact. And they were gonna waterboard her with the broken emulsion.
I noticed that you got deadpanned with the “Tantalus” mention on that article cut out when Erin goes into Slowik’s office
if you actually look at the article that’s titling you see it was written by the same food critic, Miss bloom whose part of the guests
which says everything about her that we already knew but it’s a good touch creatively.
One other thing I just noticed. In a lot of cultures once you give someone bread they're officially a guest in your household. By denying giving them bread he's effectively saying they're not welcome.
The idiom "to break bread together" comes to mind. If the burger bun he used was house made, then it also means he broke bread with Arin(Margo)
Closest I ever got to working food service was 4 years at Starbucks and I've been out for 5 years, but even so the "can I get gluten free for my friend here" lit the fires of rage in my SOUL
I grew up with two professionally trained chefs, my dad and grandfather who trained & opened restaurants in Paris. I was free labor since 8 and the Bear gave me anxiety attacks. The Menu just reminded me of my father in the kitchen and talking down to me.
The ironic part was that after I watched the film for the first time, I wanted a cheeseburger so bad because the one in the movie looked so good so yesterday, I had one of my co-workers make me one and I ate it while watching other reactors reacting to The Menu. And yes, that cheeseburger was amazing!
This is one of the more in-depth and thoughtful review i've seen. Most people would just power through it with a "wtf happened" or "wut" with little to no input or thought put into it. The insight into the dish and how much it foreshadowed the ending is amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the tidbits that almost everyone missed such as the sycophantic assistant, the borderline sociopathic and snobby Tyler and of course, Elsa for the ice cold queen she is.
I have to say, out of all the analysis I've watched and read, yours has to be my favorite. I loved the analysis on the Man's Folly dish, especially when you pointed out how calculated the ingredients were and the placating the diners tried to do for the chef.
Tyler reminded me so much of a coworker I had at a place I used to work at. He was a server that became manager because no one else wanted it as it was underpaid. He would talk a lot about wanting to do farm to fork and chatted me up specifically since I garden for my home food. He just did not understand the amount of work it takes to grow bulk amounts of beans to supply a resturant nor did he really know how to prep or cook. Someone would always have to walk him through his prep while still having to do ours. He would also tell the owner absolutely everything that went on down to the last detail, which would result in the staff getting scolded or even written up even if they didn't do anything particularly bad. Tyler's character made me have such a negative response and it was so great to see him squirm while trying to cook.
My new job is so refreshing in comparison, but I think that is because the executive chef/owners are actually present in the resturant.
I loved this movie. My parents thought it was stupid, but I’m super into storytelling and symbolism, and stuff. I’m glad to be able to hear another person’s thoughts, especially one who was so engrossed in the culinary world!
(Edit: We (my dad and I) also had some good laughs at the recipes given after the deaths. We have much darker humor than my mom, so while she was sitting there like: “What”, we were having A. TIME. It was such an excellent touch!)
I absolutely loved how you deconstructed the dishes and explained their meaning/allegorie to the movie.
They were actually going to water board her in the broken emulsion but they said it would have been too harsh. You were so spot on in the analysis of this movie and we’re so funny!
The fact that you were able to figure out literally everything about a scene in this film before the setup even completed is at testament to your tenure in the culinary world.
I think I'm going to watch other reviews from cooks and waiters. I love seeing it from you all's perspective.
40:34 I do have one critique, though: *She's not an eater. She's a survivor.* The overarching motif of the film is service. Both Slowik and Margot worked to serve others; however, while Slowik as a chef worked to please others (or at least attempted to), Margot as a prostitute worked solely to survive. That is what made her stand out. She was the only person in the film who was neither a giver nor a taker.
The final shot of Margot taking another bite out of the burger, to me, signifies just how little of a shit she gave about all of them. That's how survivors are; their #1 priority is their own life. I dare say 'The Menu' is a wonderful display of the tenacity of sex workers, especially prostitutes.
Just an FYI Dominique Crenn was the actual chef behind the dishes and the first course is a dish she serves in her own restaurant, with changes for the movie.
Having working in retail and food service I agree with your analysis completely. While I had a handful of customers that were nice and friendly, I had countless ones that were the most inconsiderate and disrespectful I ever met. I was much better off after learning and defending the idea that we could stand up for myself and say no or put such people in there place. I was even better when I finally said I was done and moved on. I hope many people take that away from this video and movie on how they treat service workers because I have seen how it affects and ruins the workers.
Ralph Fiennes doesn't have any kids. I think the pictures behind the silver door are legitimately pictures of the actor throughout his life, and he or a relative found a smiling picture of him as a teenager to superimpose on the Hamburger Howie's pics. Photoshop department did an excellent job.
The sommelier is a fantastic minor character
Your insight from the industry makes me enjoy this movie way more than I did the first couple times.
Ok this has been my favorite commentary of the film so far and I’m only 15 minutes in.s You really informed me of things that went over my head from my civilian eyes lol. Going to microwave this Trader Joe’s Gnocchi and pour some wine for the rest of this: this is a treat ❤️
Regarding the actor, I think Slovik's problem was more that the actor had abandoned his art by doing a movie he knew was bad at the start.
Fun fact, John Leguizano based the character on Steven Seagal.
I know he says that, but there is absolutely nothing Steven Segal-like in his performance lol. I just think John fucking hates Steve Segal and wants people to think of him in the way that Johns character was. As in a weak, greedy, fake, has been, etc lol
There's no way, Steven Seagal could never have the same level of self reflection as John L's actor character 😂 Hell, i think they split Seagal into 2 characters, the washout actor and the snobbish know-it-all with Tyler
By far the best reaction and analysis of this movie that I've seen. I assumed that the dishes themselves must have some sort of symbolic importance, but before seeing this I couldn't figure out what they were. It's also super impressive how you predicted almost every single major plot point.
Yes yes yes! I worked food service for years and this movie was such a great commentary on/criticism of the industry. It has lots to say about the commodification and monetization of passion. Giving up the soul of your art in order to make money and survive. So good.
The second to last food service job I held was at a 5 star place (I had been in the industry for years) the owner/executive chef was a nightmare. She was only there for Sunday brunch and Wednesday dinner services. Everyone who worked there was just like “the money is good if you can get through their two shifts a week.” I had been working there for about 3 months before 9/11 happened. She closed on 9/11 because of “plumbing issues”, my next shift was the Sunday after 9/11. She screamed at me until I cried (I do not cry in front of strangers) and then screamed at me for crying. That was the last day I worked there and I felt bad because a friend had recommended me for the job. I only recently went back to food service because I was downsized from an actually good job.
I am so glad this movie exists because it has led me to this channel. I don't sub to reaction channels because usually I just watch them for the sake of vicariously reliving my first experience with a piece of media, but you've got a whole hell of a lot of substance and I am certainly subscribing
That's exactly what I felt as well!
"Roll credits, the only funny joke CinemaSins ever made." THANK YOU MY QUEEN! They make me laugh sometimes, specifically when they make Birdman laugh (I don't even watch their videos anymore, only his), but GOD I just can't stand them anymore...
I worked Customer Service for 15 years… I’m not saying the Chef was right in this movie… but I understand
Same
I worked as a chef for some time (I escaped from that profession now).
This was one of the best reviews/analysis I have seen of this movie. The fact that the dishes and the materials chosen were naratively significant, I think, was an inside nod to the industry workers who whould catch on, while this went over the heads of everyone else just watching (dining) on the movie.
The "victims", imho, are not just the eaters. They were victimizing the restaurant staff themselves. Everyone contributes to this cycle of abuse that ends in this murder/suicide breakup.
As an ex-chef, I can find plausible that someone under that immense pressure breaks and murders everyone. There is a reason alcoholism and drugs are so rambant in the industry (as well as numerous mental health issues).
I spent just under ten years in the business. Three in the kitchen, as KP into Prep. Five on the bar and on the floor. I finished in between the two, running the pass at a large venue.
I fully agree, and not enough reviewers have touched on that point re: the workers and their part in it. That's understandable though, and possibly the point, you kind of need to have been there. There are so many nights in my memory where if Chef had proposed to lock the doors and set the place on fire with everyone still inside, us included, i'd have loaned him my lighter. I sat for hours after watching this movie thinking about how deep that us-vs-them divide between the staff and the customers gets and just how much of that was warranted and how much of it was just us in our echo chamber venting. Also how much of it came from managers and Chefs who worked their way up, swore that things would be different under them, and then did nothing.
Your reactions to this film are so funny and cathartic. I love how you explained the layers of meaning in the dishes, especially for those of us who don’t know as much about cuisine.
And how mad you get at Tyler is AMAZING
Best take I've seen so far. You seemed to call out so much accurately just before it happened. I feel like this movie could be written for you, or even BY you, to some extent. You even called out the deleted scene!
What I'm wondering is what people think of the idea that Margot might have been given the tainted meat that was foreshadowed in the beginning during the tour. I'm not sure it quite works because Margot was really the only one that "got" Slowak and gave him a moment of satisfaction and a feeling of being understood. Also, she really wasn't part of "the menu" to begin with.
Also this movie made me want to tip my servers even more. I've always believed in tipping well, but jeez, what a thankless profession.
It wouldn't make since considering the meat at the beginning was a different type of meat. The meat you see the chef use looks like fresh ground beef. Plus this movie doesn't take cheap shots. I think her being poisoned would have been a cheap shot and doesn't seem like something this chef would have done. If he had wanted her dead, he would have kept her on the island.
The best thing about the chef character for me was that this whole thing was his psyche's reaction to realizing that he was just as bad as the villain customers and the menu is all one fancy psychotic break
I loved this movie already, and I consider myself a "Tyler" type. I'm a total foodie who geeks the hell out over going out to eat, and I get giddy when I get to meet chefs, and your analysis added so much more to my enjoyment. Awesome video. Thank you.
The movie was cathartic for me because it addressed inequality and elite class privileges. Chef saw his peace and innocence reflected in Margot as a working class person. "Givers vs. Takers"
Dude the way you predicted how things would continue on as it was unfolding was cracking me up! Especially calling Tyler’s dish bullshit 😂 you might have an intuitive gift on top of being very funny and informing me of the dishes meanings!
I don’t remember what motivated me to watch this film, I am really glad I did. Also your reaction to this is the best I’ve seen, so far you’ve been the only person I’ve seen reacting that picked up on the Tantalus reference, it’s not in the imdb trivia section.
A few films I can recommend if you haven’t seen them are,
Baby Driver (2017)
Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)
Die Hard (1988)
Nobody (2021)
Last Action hero (1993)
Deep Blue Sea (1999)
Office Space (1999)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Primer (2004)
Demolition Man (1993)
Hero (2002)
The Great Wall (2016)
Bug Fish (2003)
Real Genius (1985)
I could go on, and on, and on.
In any event, thank you for your reaction!
I have been dying to do a rewatch of Hero, you have great taste!
Your breakdown of this movie has been the best I've seen so far. Your unique background with the food industry really highlighted the language of the food Slowick was serving. Thanks for the reaction/breakdown!
This is the first video of yours I've seen. DANG did I ever choose the right one! The movie obviously chimed for you over and over and you shared in detail why it did. I appreciated it.
SO happy to see someone with real kitchen experience review this film. Your insight was deeply appreciated. I did a lot of my kitchen work near the Willows (which I honestly think this film is referencing!). Great job 10/10 best review so far
This is extremely insightful coming from a chef. Thank you for your explanations they add a whole other level to the movie.
Your video made me appreciate the movie a little more ! I knew the dishes had to have a meaning but i couldn't figure it all out. Brilliant! 💜
Hello my fellow South Georgian!!!! When my parents and I saw this, I turned to them (we were in an empty theater that day) and said, "That's Jekyll Island, look at how close the trees are to the beach! Look at the salt marsh!" Sure enough, parts of it were filmed on Tybee, Jekyll, and the Savannah area. :D Thank you for this really interesting video; the oyster being a threat was something I wouldn't have realized, as a non-food industry worker!
I love how if you watch the movie with very little knowledge about professional cooking, you can still tell that Tyler is probably not doing well. But watching this and being alerted to all the mistakes he makes, like not washing the leek (maybe even expecting it to be washed already), using the wrong knife and putting it into too hot of a pan... that stuff feels baked into the stiory and even if you aren't knowledgeable about it, you might get a whiff of it somehow. But you adding proper information makes it so muck more interesting and juicy.
44:35 - Fun behind-the-scenes Fact: The emulsion waterboarding (emulsionboarding?) that you and many others had expected to happen actually was present in the original version! More specifically, it was part of an **entire additional course** that would have occurred while Margot/Erin was getting the barrel for "dessert" (which is why Lillian's hair is damp and her makeup's all runny after Margot/Erin gets back), but it was removed from the film as the action of that scene combined with the action of Margot/Erin's struggle with Elsa in the cabin ended up being a bit too chaotic to keep it all in.
I’m in a similar boat with you, a lot of culinary training but couldn’t “handle” the kitchen (not an insult). This movie showed the dirtiest laundry of the culinary world. How the greed of customers and haute cuisine robbed the passion from the culinary world. And jabs directly at each one. This movie perfectly encapsulates what drove me out of the professional kitchen and it made me feel oddly seen. Like even you pointing out the cigarette hypocrisy is so true and it shows that the writer knew.
44:26 fun fact: in a deleted scene it is revealed that the staff eventually waterboarded the critic with the broken emulsion, but this scene was removed from the movie because it was too extreme.
OMG I totally missed the "pressure cooked vegetables" reference! Nice catch! 😁