Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-23 16:37:40

Wow. Bad. Really bad like a flat tire...

Do you remember that SNL skit with Chris Farley about the spoiled milk? The one where he drinks it, gags, nearly vomits and then drinks more? Then he tells his family about how bad it is and they drink it anyway? That's how I feel after having read the poor reviews--but I watched it anyway. I have to say I either have pretty low standards or a really high tolerance for bad movies (I've only ever walked out of two: The Money Pit and Joe vs. the Volcano) but this movie was just FLAT. It was almost weird how lacking it was in...anything. Clair Forlani is not a good actress--sorry, but she just isn't. She gives nothing onscreen but good face.

2012-05-23 03:36:52

Great Movie to watch while cooking

This review is from: Love's Kitchen (DVD) Enjoyed this movie very much. Overall a feel good movie revolving around love and cooking. I would consider it a nice hostess gift.

2012-05-22 15:02:14

Never quite found its connections

This review is from: Love's Kitchen (Amazon Instant Video) The script was poor. The story took so many directions that never made sense. The dialogue was boring and had no depth. The main characters had no chemistry. All in all it was a waste of time to watch.

Will_Malone1972 2012-05-22 03:33:35

Undercooked and half-baked idea of a film

As I have learnt from the multitude of reality TV cooking shows whichmake regular appearances in the Malone household, the secret to a gooddish is carefully selecting fresh ingredients and balancing thedifferent flavors together in order for them to all work in harmony onthe plate. However in Love's Kitchen they do things in a different way.Essentially chucking a bunch of old, out of date and re-heated ideasinto the mixing bowl, bunging it in the oven and after 90 mins theyhave produced an under-cooked, half-baked idea of film, devoid of anyreal flavour or substance.Love's Kitchen tells the lukewarm tale of successful chef andrestaurateur Rob Haley (Dougray Scott) who looses all passion for foodafter the tragic death of his wife in a car accident. A scathing reviewof his restaurant leads to a cringe worthy intervention by GordonRamsey, before our Rob heads off to the countryside and buys The Boot,an old country pub which his late wife fell in love with before heruntimely demise and is now frequented by an American food critic(Claire Forlani). Here Rob proceeds to try and recapture his love forfood and turn around both the culinary and fiscal fortunes of The Boot.So it appears as if Love's Kitchen is essentially a 90 minute episodeof Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares, which just in case you were wondering,that's not a good thing.Most rom-coms are predictable, so much so that you can sketch out theplot within the first 5 mins or so of meeting the characters. Why somework and others don't is how much the audience grows to like and investin the two leads. I am big rom-com fan and a huge admirer of a happyending. I don't mind it being telegraphed, but I want to enjoy thejourney. I need to want the couple to be together at the end of thefilm. Within 5 mins of watching Love's Kitchen I wanted to take aspatula and start slapping people around the face.Everything about the film felt forced. It felt as if they had studiedwhat had worked in Four Weddings or Notting Hill and tried to recreateit piece by piece. Bringing together a British chap and an Americanlass has always worked well in the past, but this time the main leadsare simply unconvincing with precious little chemistry together. Theydidn't seem suited to each other at all, so you just didn't care whathappens to them.The supporting cast fared little better and appeared to be the dregs ofout of work British soap opera actors. Eastenders was well representedand I almost fell of my chair when Nigel from Brookside turned up. I amsure if I had looked hard enough I probably would have found an extrafrom Crossroads somewhere in the background. There were moments when Icouldn't believe what I was watching and hearing. The script soundedlike it had come from a Carry On film and some of the characters feltlike a cross between caricatures of English country folk and charactersfrom Viz (get ooorffff my land!!) . At times I felt embarrassed for thecast, but mostly I just wanted it to stop.First time writer/director James Hacking did learn one good thing fromFour Weddings though and that was Simon Callow. He is star of this filmand simply delightful as a boozed up food critic, quite reminiscent ofKeith Floyd. I could have happily have watched a film just about him.Apparently when then film opened to a small select 5 screens, it onlytook 121 GBP in its opening weekend, making it one of the lowest UKopenings of all time. You can see why.

2012-05-18 07:27:01

Nice performances, great date flick!

I got to see an advance screening of this film and can recommend it for nearly anyone (it may make you hungry, though!)Good performances and great food throughout the movie; nothing that will win an Oscar, but nice romance, drama and a pleasant ending. "Love's Kitchen" is a great date flick, too!

2012-05-17 14:18:49

Wait for it to come on TV

I liked Claire Forlani in other films, but this film left me wondering if she can act. The expressions of sweet innocence that made her appealing when she was younger now make her look dense. There was no chemistry between the leads, which is certain death to a romantic comedy. I thought this might be a remake of "No Reservations" (a really good romantic comedy). It isn't. The film moved too slowly to enjoy. The dialog was dull and the story was uninspiring. Overall it is a very forgettable film.

kogyaru_uk 2012-05-12 22:44:12

Poor reviewing

It has been reported by Yahoo movies that this film only took 121GBP onits opening weekend. If we assume that a ticket price averages between5 and 10GBP depending on area and country, then that equates to about17-24 people actually seeing the film. And yet, the film has over ahundred ratings. It would appear that over 90 people have rated thisfilm without actually watching it. By voting on a film that you havenot actually watched devalues the entire purpose of websites like thisone. It makes a mockery out of the whole process. I suspected this kindof voting on a lot of films I have watched and checked the reviews butthis just demonstrates the fact. It is like those who vote on filmsthat have not actually been released... films that are still beingmade, pray tell me how you saw the film to give it a review and rating?

SK Smith 2012-05-12 08:41:59

Charming Little Movie

No it's not perfect, but something Love's Kitchen has that so manymovies don't have these days is heart... and a superb performance onthe part of Simon Callow, who alone is worth seeing the film for. I wasthinking about his character for days afterward, chuckling.When you consider all the things Love's Kitchen (formerly -- and Ibelieve, superiorly titled No Ordinary Trifle), had working against it(namely the budget -- 'twas A LOT to accomplish for a mere $1M),naysayers should really cut first time writer/director Mr. Hacking someslack. It's a sweet little movie which epicureans in particular willfind themselves salivating over on occasion. I will say it's odd to methat there wasn't more chemistry between the leads (they're married Ibelieve), but individually I liked each of them fine (Dougray Scottmore than Claire Forlani, but admittedly, I am a heterosexual female)and had no trouble swallowing that these two beautiful people mightfall for each other -- though I'd have liked to have seen a bit more ofthat process so that it felt more organic/less contrived (which is nota unique problem in the genre).In any case, anyone who has a soft spot for feel good romantic comedieswill certainly enjoy Love's Kitchen. For my money, it's a FAR CRY abovethe 27 Dresses type schlock that Hollywood turns out in this arena timeand time again. For that alone, I give everyone involved a lot ofcredit! And lastly -- why does everyone hate on Gordon Ramsay? It's a cameopart perfect for a famous chef at the top of his game which any newdirector would be a fool not to seize upon!

roman8 2012-05-11 12:42:25

Indeed not ordinary

This a treat of a movie about... well, treats, actually. Astraightforward script flows lightly and easily through a lovelyBritish country-side, with leads who are having a ball and congenialsupporting actors.Dougray Scott is perfect as a romantic leading man, his Scottish brawladding a lot to his appeal. Claire Forlani is stunningly beautiful andwarm, which is a rare combination. And Simon Callow is Simon Callow.What more can one ask for? Some weight possibly, more drama, morepoignant villains? Yes, this could be a requirement. There is not muchof this here, no suspense or action or tension in this movie. Then again: life flowing like a nice, quiet river can be lovely towatch every once in a while.

2012-05-10 19:16:27

A Bit of British Trifle

LOVE'S KITCHEN is one of those background movies -something to put on the screen while filing, doing a puzzle, or some other task that needs little attention but an occasional distraction. Written and directed James Hacking, it is a predictable story with a predictable script and put together in a casual way that at least doesn't stir any feathers. Nor does it stir much genuine interest. It seems like a paste together story for husband/wife team of Dougray Scott and Claire Forlani.Befuddled Rob Haley (Dougray Scott) was apparently a rising chef in London, put down by food critic Kate Templeton (Claire Forlani), and further distracted by the death of his wife. In response to the need for change he moves to the country where he finds a pub-like spot in which he decides to create a café - a truly gourmet spot in the middle of nowhere. He hires friends to help cook and wait tables. He garners interest from the townsfolk for his delicious cuisine - especially his 'perfect trifle'. His efforts do not go unnoticed - Kate Templeton visits, loves the food, and naturally falls in love with Rob... Etc Etc EtcThere is nothing wrong with this bit of British fluff: it just doesn't register on the scale. There are a few sidebars of some note and some cameos by the likes of Simon Callow. But for the most part this is background entertainment. Not bad, just background. Grady Harp, February 12

2012-05-09 07:07:24

Barf Kitchen

This review is from: Love's Kitchen (Amazon Instant Video) OMG! Admittedly, I'm not a fan of chick flicks, but be warned: This one really stinks. Even my wife thought so! Horrible acting, incredibly trite dialogue. You name it, this flick has all the worst that incredibly bad romantic comedies have to offer. Claire Forlani is going to have a tough time getting a real acting gig after this stinker. She's got this cutesy schtik that is so played out! Even when her beau craps all over her, she comes back with her quirky smile and all is forgiven. Really??! And what is up with her face! Isn't she a little young for a Joan Rivers style facelift. She should sue the plastic surgeon... her mouth actualy looks crooked now. And some people might think Irish accents are cute... but we could barely make out what they were saying. This movie is so bad it's almost a parody of itself. None of things the characters do is even remotely believable. I don't know what the other reviewers here are smoking, but it must be really strong stuff!

TxMike 2012-05-08 20:18:44

Lightweight rom-com to feature Dougray Scott and Claire Forlani.

We watched this on Netflix streaming movies. Filmed in England, Forlaniplays an American character of British parents.Dougray Scott (villian in M.I. 2) is chef Rob Haley with a thrivingbusiness in London. Very early in the movie his wife, who has a habitof driving too fast while on the cell phone, dies in a crash. Rob loseshis will to be an excellent chef, and his restaurant gets a verynegative review.Three years after his wife's death he re-looks at a pub for sale in thecountryside. Along with his young daughter gets re-vitalized and buysthe place, fixes it up to be his new restaurant.Claire Forlani as Kate Templeton happens to be a restaurant critic. Infact Rob eventually finds out it was she who wrote that negativereview. But in the grand scheme of things it helped him realize he hadto do better.The road towards romance is predictably rocky, and not all situationsand dialog make good sense, but overall it is an enjoyable,entertaining movie. But a very light weight one.I never liked the loud, angry Gordon Ramsay on his TV show, but here hemakes a small cameo as Himself to provide some comic relief. Most ofthe comic relief is provided by Simon Callow who is a food critic thathas a penchant for drinking way too much before he ever samples thefood and the live taped shows suffer for it. Until his producer finds anovel solution in the form of a bodyguard who monitors his intake ofliquids!

gradyharp 2012-05-02 21:33:12

A Bit of British Trifle

LOVE'S KITCHEN is one of those background movies -something to put onthe screen while filing, doing a puzzle, or some other task that needslittle attention but an occasional distraction. Written and directedJames Hacking, it is a predictable story with a predictable script andput together in a casual way that at least doesn't stir any feathers.Nor does it stir much genuine interest. It seems like a paste togetherstory for husband/wife team of Dougray Scott and Claire Forlani.Befuddled Rob Haley (Dougray Scott) was apparently a rising chef inLondon, put down by food critic Kate Templeton (Claire Forlani), andfurther distracted by the death of his wife. In response to the needfor change he moves to the country where he finds a pub-like spot inwhich he decides to create a café - a truly gourmet spot in the middleof nowhere. He hires friends to help cook and wait tables. He garnersinterest from the townsfolk for his delicious cuisine - especially his'perfect trifle'. His efforts do not go unnoticed - Kate Templetonvisits, loves the food, and naturally falls in love with Rob... Etc EtcEtcThere is nothing wrong with this bit of British fluff: it just doesn'tregister on the scale. There are a few sidebars of some note and somecameos by the likes of Simon Callow. But for the most part this isbackground entertainment. Not bad, just background. Grady Harp

2012-05-02 00:40:52

Cute rom-com

I rented this movie last week and I must say, the real life husband and wife work very well together on screen. This isnt their first movie together. You have the british cook with the american food critic. Its cute how their relationship went from hate to friendship to lovers. Very cute movie but the story line could have been better.

2012-04-29 10:29:30

LOVE Love's Kitchen

This review is from: Love's Kitchen (DVD) The reason way I love this movie is because I could see myself living there and eating in that restaurant. The attraction between them both that developed I just love how it happened.

DylanJ 2012-04-28 19:57:26

Better than 3 stars out of 5

As a foodie rom-com, it checks all the boxes. The chemistry between theleads is unsurprisingly good, the secondary romance isn't a majorstoryline but does help develop those characters, there are some reallaugh-out-loud scenes.That said, rom-coms are often much of a muchness, and this isn't quitegood enough (to me) to be best in class.The American title for this film isn't an improvement on 'No OrdinaryTrifle', which is the signature dish of the male lead. The reactions ofeverybody who eats the eponymous dish are varied, but all the actorsmade me hungry, which is more than I can say for most non-fictionalfood television.

2012-04-24 23:52:45

time suck

wow....this film is a total time suck at best!!acting...poor!content...poorer!and i'm one of those easily entertained folks who loves to watch crap just for the fun of it, but this was at a whole new level of crap.

2012-04-24 09:45:36

Love's Kitchen

This review is from: Love's Kitchen (DVD) This movie had two things going for it, as far as I was concerned, Claire Forlani and Dougray Scott. I had seen them in other movies and was impressed with them. It wasn't until after I had seen this movie, that I learned that they are actually married to each other in real life. I liked how he had put his heart on hold after his wife died, but she forced him to really look at his life and his daughter's life. It just proves that sometimes the most obvious things are the hardest for us to see.

rhymeswithnick 2012-04-19 19:27:55

If only there were a zero stars rating - less than ordinary

First and foremost, it is painfully obvious that the positive reviewsappearing here are friends/associates of the filmmaker. The reviewswere posted before the film was released theatrically or DVD!!! Thismakes a mockery of this forum. If we all got our friends (or hiredpeople) to post positive reviews and vote for our projects, it justbecomes a popularity contest. Second, this film has been overwhelminglynegatively reviewed with good reason. There is no respect or trust inthe audience. Everything is so heavy-handed and formulaic. There is nohumility, no grace. The filmmakers think they are being brilliant whileoffering a lacklustre effort. The film's opening sequence where theTITLE of the film is misspelled! Come on! This is just a foreshadowingof the sloppy effort all around. It is insulting to the viewer. Didthey really think people wouldn't notice? (It closes out with yetanother misspelling of one of the film's main marketing draw's name.)Poorly researched (the chef and everything cooking-related wasinaccurate and unconvincing...I could chop veg more professionally thanthe lead character!) and superficial characters. One wonders if thisproject was the result of a bullheaded "I'm gonna make it regardless ofwhat anyone says or thinks" attitude or genuine belief that they had asolid story and characters. The producers should be embarrassed andashamed of themselves.

kewlot 2012-04-19 08:30:39

Peaceful indeed

A very peaceful film that anyone can relate. Good natural actingperformance and chemistry. The characters are falling in love, fallingout of love. I didn't believe that this film is awful to the extent ofcriticism, but it's a spice of life, let go of life's holding us not topursue our skills. People loves to cook to met the their expectations.So if i were you, I would learn to love this film, sit back and watchevery character that plays on their roles quite guessing butenjoyable.... Don't care if there are some cameo appearance, it's justtheir roles to gave spice and heat up the fire... and I love this likeeating trifle....