Note: We really appreciated the viewpoint of a professional chef when Denver’s own Chef Elizabeth Buckingham offered her guest review of the Bradley Cooper movie, Burnt, about a fictitious chef. Naturally, we were very curious to know what she’d think of a movie about a real chef. Read her review of Noma: My Perfect Storm from the perspective of an insider. Then, consider our review below from the perspective of a diner who is also a movie-goer.
What is food? Stupid question, right? It is nourishment, a collection of atomic particles that, in the right proportions, provides fuel for living creatures. Including humans. That’s what food is.
But is it more than that? In the hands of certain people, is food more than the sum of its parts? Noma: My Perfect Storm offers a vision of food that will leave you pondering a lot more than what’s on the plate for dinner. Unlike other recent fantasy foodie films like Chef and Burnt, Noma: My Perfect Storm is a documentary about chef René Redzepi and his restaurant’s rise to be named the World’s Best.
Like those other foodie flicks, Noma has sumptuous food shots; however, these are the most magnificent cinematic food shots this movie lover has ever seen. The film excels equally in the shots of humanity in nature as it explores the concept of localism and the farm-to-table connections pioneered by René at Noma. The relationship, the dialog, between humanity and the environment is an essential message of this film. We are one, inseparable; in equal parts we give meaning and need each other. Yet do we equally value and treasure each other? Does humanity nourish nature, and if not, what consequences shall arise?
Observing the art of creation is a marvel, not just of the star René, but of him collaborating with his team and the ballet that occurs in the kitchen at dinner rush. The film verges on being too self-important with slow motion scenes of staff moving to heroic classical music. Grounding the film are close-ups of humble kitchen workers, not cinematic pretty boys, striving to achieve greatness together. In context, they are noble players worthy of recognition and appreciation. Scenes of René scolding his team when they fall short, with the deepest disdain targeted at the head chefs, are uncomfortable. René is a genius and not a particularly likeable guy but he just may be the absolute best chef to learn from. He challenges his staff to be the absolute very best they can be and to settle for nothing less than consistent perfection. That is a tall order, and yet none of them crumble. They pull together and, by the end, triumph together.
In a world where millions are “food insecure” in rich nations and starving from malnutrition in others, a restaurant like Noma is repugnant. It serves up outrageously crafted foods for jet set Global Foodie Elites who pop into Copenhagen on their private jets for dinner, then fly away after dessert. Most are there for bragging rights alone, infuriating René who vigorously berates them and their motivations. But he needs them. His cooking is not for the masses, but exactly for those elite, globe-trotting few who can pay his high prices (see link below). René needs their deep pockets to fund his creative genius and continue Noma’s culinary explorations.
Hyperbole and pretentious, Noma. Moving and unforgettable, Noma. A marvel not only for foodies, but for all humans who eat. Do not miss this film. Noma: My Perfect Storm is in theaters, On Demand and on iTunes December 18, 2015.
Prices at the Top 10 Restaurants in the world
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/cost-eat-10-best-restaurants-world/
More outrageously priced foods reviewed by an extremely funny restaurant critic:
http://harpers.org/archive/2015/09/a-goose-in-a-dress/
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