La Cocina: A Stifling Look At What Goes On In The Kitchen Of A Restaurant

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the kitchen of a restaurant behind closed doors? Are the kitchen staff professional and orderly in their preparation of food orders? Perhaps, but not in the kitchen of fictional New York City restaurant La Cocina.

La Cocina is based on the celebrated stage play The Kitchen by Arnold Wesker, and is written and directed by highly acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Alonso Ruizpalacios. The cast is headed by Academy Award nominee Rooney Mara and Raul Briones.

Audiences should realise they’re in for deliciously wicked viewing when the kitchen supervisor yells out soon after the opening credits, “This is a fucked up day to be understaffed!”

The story is set in the kitchen and the staff who are predominantly illegals, spend more time fooling around, talking about their personal problems and spewing angst at each other. There’s a romantic entanglement between Pedro (Briones) the chef and waitress Julia (Mara) which naturally leads to sexual acts behind closed doors.

An investigation is in progress as to who stole $800 from one of the tills and Pedro is a suspect once the question is asked, where did the money come from to pay for Julia’s abortion?

There’s no time for boredom or restlessness to filter through in this cinematic gem which is beautifully filmed in black and white. The rush hours highlight the stress the kitchen staff work under and the mayhem that occurs, notably in one suffocating scene which is so over the top that it’ll stifle audiences and render them speechless.

During their breaks audiences will learn about the grievances of the kitchen staff who are reportedly well paid but feel they are the slaves of the kitchen – “A little humanity wouldn’t hurt!” a waitress exclaims to the chef in a very heated moment.

The story progressively delves deeper than what goes on in the kitchen. The social issues that confront these illegal workers and their quest to be accepted as Americans are tackled, and a memorable scene where their unachievable dreams for the future are revealed.

There’s a scene that displays the preparation of an unnamed sumptuous dish – this welcomingly shuns away from the evolving turmoil in the kitchen.

Audiences may ponder whether the cameras will venture into the actual restaurant. When they do, the boisterous mood in the kitchen subsides to a placid atmosphere as the customers quietly consume their meals, totally unaware of the disorder in the kitchen – except in the finale when an explosion of emotions leads to a shock occurrence audiences won’t soon forget!

Inventive direction by Alonso Ruizpalacios is the prime reason for the excellence of La Cocina. Innovative camera angles add another dimension to the film and his persistence in filming his features in black and white (as he has done so with his previous 2 feature films) adds more depth and drama to the scenes.

This movie should be a hit in arthouse cinemas. Discerning moviegoers and cinephiles will undoubtedly be entranced throughout and wish there was more. However, they will almost certainly wonder what goes on in the kitchen of the next restaurant they walk by!

****

In Cinemas May 15