What makes it different from others?

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The acting in this movie is really good.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Went to the theater with almost no expectations and left with a huge smile on my face. Spinning Plates is an intimate look into the lives of three stories that revolve around food, family, sacrifice, and resilience. Within the stories is a wide variety of food types, chefs, backgrounds, economic means, and ambitions. Yet with all the differences, the similarities are uncanny—and it's what brings the film together. Anyone with an appreciation for food or family will find relatable emotional elements in this film —and it will give you a little more insight on the types of struggles that some of our favorite places to dine go through on a day to day basis. Watch with snacks, plan for a meal afterward. Enjoy!

This is everything that you would want in a food-based documentary for both foodies and non- foodies alike. It feels authentic and real without being harsh or brazen. As the film unfolds, you get a good sense of who these restaurant owners/chefs are not just as business owners but also as fellow people struggling to keep their dreams alive. It is refreshing also to see that these restaurant owners belong to completely different demographics, having experienced completely different obstacles so that most viewers could relate to at least one of them. The focus on the food and the kitchen gives a look into each of these chefs approaches to applying a mixture of their hard work and heart into their culinary creations. Though they are all different, all the delectable food definitely entices and intrigues and will make your mouth water. Watch this and it won't disappoint, even for those who are not typically interested in documentaries.

I watch documentaries all of the time, but Spinning Plates really made me feel connected to each and everyone of its characters. When one goes into a restaurant you aren't simply eating the food it is art, love, and nourishment. Spinning Plates was heartfelt and eye opening to say the least. Working in restaurants almost all of my life I can truly identify with the passion and sacrifice that goes into the process. Within this film you get to see three very different stories each with different talents and restaurants, but there is one thing in common between each of them. Each of them wants and strives to share their love with their patrons. Spinning Plates made me laugh and even tear up to see the struggles and triumph each one of these restaurants faces. By far one of my favorite docs this year!

This film takes a fascinating look into three very different types of restaurants in the United States, and the people that make them possible. Like most well done documentaries, you are sucked in to the lives of the people who run these restaurants. The film strikes an emotional cord in the way that you are elated when things go well for these people and their restaurants, and you are torn to pieces when things go wrong. The documentary flows nicely from the story of the modernist, top tier restaurant Alinea run by Grant Achatz in Chicago, to the comfortable, family run, historic Breitbach's in Balltown, Iowa, lastly to the struggling, authentic Mexican restaurant La Cocina de Gabby run by a sweet family in Arizona. Each story presents different aspects of the restaurant business at different levels of success. Each story shows the hardships, struggles, joys and pleasures of running a restaurant. And each story captivates your emotions and keeps you hopeful for their futures. Although the restaurants are different, all three strive to be the place people want to come. This film brings to light the fact that it isn't the food that makes a restaurant, it's the people behind it who put their blood, sweat, and tears into the work. As a lover of food and film, I would recommend Spinning Plates to anyone who shares either passion. Overall, it is a heartfelt, interesting and entertaining documentary.