“A young couple travels to a remote island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.” – IMDb
The Menu (2022)
Starring
Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, John Leguizamo, Judith Light
Directed by
Mark Mylod
Box Office:
US $76.24 Million
Review
As someone who loves to cook and who also loves movies, it probably comes as no surprise that I am writing a review for The Menu. I had seen a preview of this film a while back and had completely forgotten about its existence until my partner reminded me of it.
Acting
As a fan of Ralph Fiennes’ work, I tried to keep an unbiased view of his role in this film. With this being said, I must commend his performance yet again. Throughout watching The Menu, I kept thinking of what it must have been like for not only Fiennes, but for the entire cast to possibly go from their regular selves, and into their roles.
I began to appreciate Ana-Taylor Joy’s acting after becoming a huge fan of the film Split. I haven’t made a point of watching more of her films, but when she does happen to be in what I’m watching, I have no complaints.
John Leguizamo is… well… John Leguizamo. I don’t mind him in secondary roles, and I don’t dislike him as an actor. There’s just something about him that leaves me feeling very indifferent. I had been a tad obsessed with Moulin Rouge, and Chef is a great film- but I don’t have these views because of Leguizamo. It’s hard for me to put into words my opinions of him, but the one word I would use is “replaceable”. Sorry, John.
One thing that I enjoyed about this film, is the fact that I can almost picture each actor going on set and flipping a switch in order to become the intense characters we meet. This may seem like an obvious statement to make concerning actors, (Isn’t it their job to do that?). But, you can almost feel the weight of their lines in your own body as you watch the story play out. This is why I would have to say the acting is the best element of the film.
Set Design
I want to also commend the simplicity of the set design. As with any film that is largely based in one room, proper attention must be paid to the elements of said room. From the dining tables and how they were spaced out, to the large windows and the view into the kitchen- it is amazing how simplicity can speak volumes.
There is one specific scene that has a splash of color among the rest of the dark dining area, the vibrantly clean kitchen, and the white chef’s outfits. It was extremely effective without being too “strong” and I think that’s a good way to describe this film as a whole.
Storyline
Since I forgot about what the movie involved, I was happy to be experiencing it without being spoiled. It’s rare these days to go into a movie without knowing about every actor involved or having important scenes leaked. As a self-proclaimed “foodie”, I laughed at the portrayal of some of the diners-turned-food critics. Not all of us are like that, I promise!
As the film progresses, you begin to question Anya-Taylor Joy’s character, along with her fellow diners. You aren’t given background information on anyone, and you slowly begin to learn who everyone is. Even this is done quite minimally and it causes you to wonder, if not question, who these people are and what role they have in the grand scheme of things. This is especially true of the chefs who are preparing the meals.
Overall
When all is said and done, I enjoyed The Menu quite a bit. Thriller/mystery/suspense films are my favorites when compared to other genres of films. It is for this reason that I am usually much harder on them as I write reviews. What stands out to me most about this film, is that I didn’t guess what was going to happen. Anyone who knows me understands how rare this is.
It’s not that I always guess endings correctly. Although, I do usually have some inkling as to what will happen next. With this film, I didn’t even want to try to figure it out. I wanted the story to just unfold and enjoy it for what it was. What this says about The Menu, I’m not completely sure, but I don’t think it’s a negative thing. I would not tell anyone to rush into watching this. But it is definitely a good movie to watch for an “easy-viewing” Friday night. If you can handle a few uncomfortable scenes, that is.