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Does the movies bleakly comic finale ring true to our resident fancy-meal experts?
CC:Youve been to more of these places than almost anyone else has.
Did you ever feel like the chefs at these restaurants were going to hunt you?
AP:Did I ever feel like I was beinghunted?
Restaurant movies are tough to do as a rule.
Its hard to get the tone right.
Its too affected, or inaccurate, and, basically, who gives a crap?
I mean, you could still imagine being served these dishes during the course of some endless tasting menu.
Fiennes was excellent as the chef, Julian Slowik.
At the high end, the chefs are like fighter pilots.
They got giant watches, they got giant egos, nobodys fat.
They have these teams that will literally run into fire for them, to a certain extent.
They are philosopher kings.
Theyre like high priests of their own religion.
The adulation obscures so much about them, doesnt allow for a complete picture of them.
And of course, its totally accurate.
If there was ever a journalist for the 1 percent, its me.
This style of dining is something thats taken off in the last ten years.
And Im on record of not being wild about that whole culture.
Everyones moving in unison and everythings choreographed.
Thank God its ended.
Most people in my world, most critics, dont like that style of dining.
Im not going to say its not fun.
Ive been to Noma.
Its also faintly ridiculous and youre aware of that while its going on.
Youre aware of being swept up in this kind of theater.Youre almost trapped in it.
CC:What did you like so much about her?
AP:She was funny.
The critic is part of the system and supporting the system.
Theyre creatures in that rarefied lagoon.
CC:Do you feel like there is a derision towards critics and criticism in the movie?
AP:Sure, and why not?
The fact is that critics create these restaurants to a certain extent.
I felt like they were going to all get eaten, frankly.
I think the intent of the filmmakers was they should all die.
Somebody who likes to show up at their restaurants and eat free.
Nobody is in those fancy restaurants involuntarily.
For one, every single applicant is there willfully.
But its a bit of a nutty system.
Nobodys paying attention, theyre all a bunch of idiots.
Lets open peoples eyes a little bit.
The writers must go to these restaurants a fair amount.
They clearly had the psyche of those places.
CC:I just didnt like the part with the cheeseburger.
He looks so happy in that photo, in complete contrast to his dour demeanor in the movies present.
He just wants to makeherhappy hed noticed that shed barely touched her food but this also makes him happy.
AP:It looked good, though.
CC:I worked in restaurants for a brief period of time.
My brother is a chef.
I meet a lot of these people.
I do think theres an aspect of resentment thats baked into the job.
Im not saying thats the only feeling.
People want to do this.
AP:Thats the genius of it.
All the ingredients are there.
Kitchens are, generally, a difficult, repressive, high-pressure environment.
Even if its the best restaurant in the world.
And they all have one guy in charge.
CC:Why dont you think anyone has made a movie like this already?
AP:Parodying it is almost too easy.
I said during the screening, These people all deserve to die.
CC: You also said, Thats me and I deserve to die.
Thats me and I deserve to die.
I have to say I dont go to those restaurants anymore.
It could be that I have a little bit of pent-up aggression and anger toward that whole bullshit experience.
CC:Did you ever wish that a chef would have just murdered you?
Nor did I ever wish that I hurt the chef.
