What if the main sensory goal of cooking was to stimulate the ears? What if I experience a movie through my nostrils or taste buds or feel it in my intestines? These strange and intriguing questions are part of the underlying spine. Sofrito —Fifth feature of “Flux Gourmet” by British author and director Peter Strickland.
The first “Katarin Barga” (2009) was a revenge drama set in Transylvania. Since then, Strickland has moved away from both genre customs and known geography, evoking parallel realities organized around a particular aesthetic and erotic attachment. Italian horror and sound design for “Barbarian Sound Studio” (2013). Entomology and BDSM of “Duke of Burgundy” (2015). High fashion and Italian horror again in “In Fabric” (2019). And now cooking.
It’s not the kind you eat — although there are some nasty dinners and episodes of secretly snacking. In the world of this movie, food is the music of love. The culinary sound collective is the equivalent of a rock band, building an expressive noise wall from the squeal of a blender and the sizzling sounds of vegetables dropped in hot oil.
One such group, who disagrees with the name, was given a residence in a “laboratory specializing in cooking and food performance” in a renovated rural manor house. One story thread creates a boiling tension between Jan Stevens (Gwendoline Christie), who is in charge of the place, and Elle di Elle (Fatma Mohamed, Strickland’s powerhouse), the troupe’s visionary vegetarian leader. Follow. Ell categorically rejects a few hints of constructive criticism from Yang, who believes her tycoon deserves to be heard by her.
This tension exacerbates competition within the group. Ell may be the leader, but her bandmates, floppy-haired emo kid (Asa Butterfield), and angular avant-garde (Ariane Labed) have their own early creative agenda. There is also an element of sexual conspiracy, as is often the case when aesthetic passion is burning. Meanwhile, a group of rejected culinary artists lurks in the shadows, threatening violence.
All of this is recorded primarily in Greek narration and English subtitles by a Saturnian companion named Stones (Makis Papadimitriou), who works as the “Dosielge” of the Institute. A trade writer and temperament wall flower, he observes Elle and her colleagues, filmes their meetings and performances, interviews them together, and takes notes about their fights.
Poor people have their own worries. To be precise, digestive problems that disrupt his sleep and sour his already dark mood. The resident doctor (Richard Bremmer) is a gorgeous fool, Stones spends a lot of time in the bathroom, and the rest wears the unmistakable grimaces of a man who holds a lot of gas.
His plight could be an obvious comic, but Strickland doesn’t take advantage of it in an obvious way. this is”Blazing saddleThe audible flatulence is not a complete symphony, but is limited to a single pathetic sound. However, the unprecedented music of Stone’s lower intestine is still an important structural element, organizing “flux gourmet” into an elegant counterpoint-themed fugue. Joy and disgust; appetite and discipline.
This film is not as parable or illusion as witty philosophical speculation about the basic human problems. We are animals driven by desire, hunger and aggression, but we are also delicate creatures who love beauty and abstraction. These two aspects of our nature collide in unexpected, endlessly changing ways.
“Flux Gourmet” is Strickland’s weirdest movie to date, with more jokes than its predecessor, some sublime visual gags, many of which are related to Jan’s costumes (Jan’s costume). Giles Deacon, With a hat by Stephen Jones). It’s like a repair comedy that goes through John Waters’ filters and is dusted with Luis Buñuel’s itchy powder.
Maybe such a comparison is unfair. Indeed, Elle insists on the absolute integrity and originality of her work, and it defends her dignity, even when “Flux Gourmand” is ridiculing her self-seriousness. Mohammed is fully committed to Bit and can believe that Elle is a brave genius and a perfect nut. Stricklands tend to think that the former is more common than the latter. I’ve never come across a flavor palette like the one he’s building here. This movie isn’t always easy to digest, but it’s a taste worth getting.
Flux gourmet
Unrated. Execution time: 1 hour 51 minutes.Can be rented or purchased at the theater Apple TV, Google play And other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
