SOUL KITCHEN (Germany 2009) ***
Directed by Fatih Akin

Turk director Fatih Akin’s latest film shows him in a more hilarious vein than his previous dramas like THE EDGE OF HEAVEN and HEAD ON.  Again, his protagonist is a somewhat loser, who by chance, have things somehow go right for him.  Just as in his other films.  It is just as the verse in the Bible goes:  All things work well for those who love the Lord!

Greek chef, restaurant owner Zinos Kazanysakis (Adam Bousdoukos in a spirited performance) is in dire straits.  His girlfriend Nadine (Pheline Roggan) is moving to Shanghai, China thus leaving him alone.  A chance meeting with a fired chef results in a complete change in the menu of his local restaurant driving all his customers away.  An old ‘friend’ intends to buy up the property for profit.  Worse still, his brother on parole, Illias (Moritz Bleibtreu) shows up and a gambling debt causes the restaurant to be lost.

But all is not awash!  Akin loves his characters and will not let anything bad happen to them- except maybe a slipped disc or an almost lost romance.  Just as he would not let his audience get bored with his film.  The events work out hilariously towards a happy ending. 
Akin fills his film with authentic tunes with a romantic Italian slant.

There is one point in the movie when Illias asks his brother: “Shouldn’t you be in Shanghai?” The reply is: “Shouldn’t you be in jail?” One can hardly dislike a film with such quirky situations and dialogue.  SOUL KITCHEN is a bright and entertaining comedy about how good things can still happen to people who are down in the dumps.  The film created a mild sensation at the Cannes and Venice film festivals.