Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult, Anya Taylor-Joy
The Menu is a film that I had anticipated for quite some time. Usually it is a film that I would be scratching at doors to go and see in the cinema, but surprisingly I waited for its short turnaround to Disney+ to watch this feature.
An exciting cast and interesting premise sets this film up to be an intriguing watch, and that it certainly is, however there are other aspects to the movie that are destined to leave audiences scratching their heads upon viewing.
I mention the "exciting cast", but the acting power within this film only really lies within the picture's starring trio, through the form of Nicholas Hoult, Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes who portrays the off-putting yet very interesting
character, Chef.
For the first quarter of the film, I was intrigued. A lot of questions were being asked and still plenty of time for them to be answered. but as time went on, more questions were offered without. a lot of answers. And in result, a confused audience.
There were a wide variety of topics and stories for the audience to follow, as an audience member it was difficult to just find one thread to pull on. And even then we weren't given any clear answers to any of the questions that the film was asking.
The lead character in this film, Chef, it is clear that he is a man of mysteriousness and darkness, I think we only see him smile once throughout the entirety of the film. But there is simply no reasoning explained to the viewers as to why he is this way. We find out a little about his backstory later on in the film, but not to the point where we could understand why he and his fellow colleagues go to the extent that they do in this picture.
In my opinion, the film introduces too many characters at once. Resulting in the audience members not knowing which thread to pull on, and we don't see enough of these characters to even care about what is happening to them.
The two characters that we do seem to care for the most, even if it is only a little bit are the two leads, Margot and Tyler. Portrayed by Taylor-Joy and Hoult.
We sound the most time with these characters tees and it's true to say that they are the two leads, but having said that, we know little too much about these two also. Even to the point where when bad stuff happens to them, the audience doesn't batter an eyelid.
One aspect of the film where I was impressed was through the performances of Nicholas Hoult and Ralph Fiennes. This seemed like the perfect role for Fiennes. Creepy, mysterious, and just downright evil, but in a subtle way to the point where you actually kind of enjoy his company.
Not to the point where I would enjoy spending time with him, but from outside of the fourth wall, he is an entertaining character to watch and Fiennes does a splendid job of portraying him.
Hoult also turns in an impressive job as the "snobby", upper class male who seems to have a vast interest in food and deeply admires Chef. The British actor does a really good job of expressing deep emotions when called upon, and really finds that balance of being a disrespectful person, and also kind of being likeable despite the things he does and says in the film. He especially displays a lack of respect towards his "date", Anya Taylor-Joy.
Taylor-Joy does a solid job of portraying Margot, the prostitute, who eventually breaks the system of Ralph Fiennes remote island restaurant and is the only one to escape. But she just doesn't have the tools to play with like Fiennes and Hoult do, very rarely we see the actress display some real emotion and seems like a broken soul that can't be broken anymore. It almost seems as though being at the restaurant wasn't the most frightening this she had done that day.
And for most people, it would've been.
In respect, The Menu is an exciting watch, it was just frustrating at times with some of the decisions that it made throughout. After the first 20 minutes, it sets up a very exciting premise and bounces between the lines of The Hunger Games and Maze Runner. But doesn't continue this and it eventually provides the audience with more questions than it does answers.
Inevitably leading the viewers walking out of the cinemas with only one question on their mind..."What?".
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