Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Greek-German Zinos Kazantsakis operates the rundown working-class Wilhelmsburg restaurant Soul Kitchen. He has money struggles. Sokrates works on his boat in the adjacent storage but never seems to pay Zinos rent. During a family dinner at a high-class restaurant, he sees arrogant chef Shayn getting fired and hires him on the spot. His girlfriend Nadine leaves for China and later he decides to go to her. His convict brother Illias gets leave from prison and convinces Zinos to sign off on work release. Zinos hurts his back trying to move in a replacement dishwasher. With no health insurance, he gets help from physical therapist Anna. Tax collectors confiscate his sound system. Shayn changes the menu driving away the regulars. Former classmate and sleazy developer Thomas Neumann wants to buy the restaurant and secretly calls in the health department. New customers love the food and soon it becomes a gastronomical success. Waitress Lucia hates Illias until she finds out that he's a bad boy criminal. He's a degenerate gambler but Zinos gives him power of attorney.The story is a bit rambling with a lot of turns. It's got a jazzy rocking feel. It works well enough. It's got its fun. The jam-packed story may work even better as a TV show. As for the food porn aspect, the most memorable scene is Shayn taking apart fish sticks and french fries to create a high-class plate.

It's a bliss to behold that Faith Akin could return to a IN JULY (2000) route to prepare us for a comedic ratatouille after his tremendously nerve-pressing films HEAD-ON (2004) and THE EDGE OF HEAVEN (2007), prominently known as the fresh blood of the new German film industry, Faith is definitely honing his prowess with multi-genre attempts, though we are still not clear his next feature project (only a documentary called GARBAGE IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN is billed under his director helm from IMDb, another genre breakthrough is expected). SOUL KITCHEN connects intimately with a lavish hue of aesthetics with a down-to-earth register aiming towards modern-day generation, for the likes of a desolate factory-reconstructed- restaurant serving as a default location and night disco dizziness as such. The tempo of the story-unfolding is rapid with fairly abundant of gags and the characterization of different roles is smoothly undergoing without too much mind-absence or self-conscious uneasiness. The story has never been out of its predictable safe zone, but is helped out by an intriguing visual plentifulness. Alongside Faith, the film is co-scripted by Adam Boysdoukos, who is also the leading actor here. While the acting at large is lukewarm, funny but no amazing bravura, the sole recommendable saving grace is Faith's old mate Birol Ünel, acting as a short-tempered cook, whose screen time is meager but to my appetite.From an aspect about re-maneuvering his comedic faculty, the most delightful discovery is Faith's multi-faceted flair in exerting a film's audience-friendly mode which assures both its viewers and its financial investors that any work labelled his name tag will not be a reckless train gone amok, if Faith could trawl a potent script and cast (or write one like HEAD-ON, THE EDGE OF HEAVEN), his harvest season by all odds will not be a long shot.

vote for the insistence the leading actor, and he simplified the life with never look back and straight forward. First glance of the restaurant smell the heavy metal. The music is the highlight of the movie. It will be better if melt the Blue, folk and supportive to the cook. Then the polishing of the cook and Music will be multi-taste. Count of Monte Cristo is also an attractive part, for his trouble maker responsibility. I like cook, but not good at. What is the soul of my cook? Not professional but full of image. what is the soul of my life, we'll see. I like cook, but not good. Keep my passion to be a good chief of my life :)

Great movie, fast and fresh, the kind of fun the movies are supposed to be.The characters are real and dynamic, the sites are beautiful, interiors and exteriors, although in industrial area, they feel warm and cozy after some time.The action never loses pace.I am trying to find now other movies from the same director and/or lead actor.It is refreshing in a way Guy Ritchie is, you wait for the next movie because you expect the same feeling.