Film review: Soul Kitchen

Soul Kitchen

Director: Fatih Akin
Cast: Adam Bousdoukos, Birol Ünel, Moritz Bleibtreu, Anna Bederke, Pheline Roggan, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Lucas Gregorowicz, Dorka Gryllus
Rating: (M) .

This title is a bit of a misnomer. There is a distinct lack of one aspect, and it isn't the kitchen.

Director Fatih Akin, who made the brilliant The Edge of Heaven, reportedly wanted to make something a little lightweight to counteract his usual heavy topics.

Unfortunately he chose a script grounded in the type of Brit-com predictability that only works with a super-sharp collection of one-liners.

Zinos (Adam Bousdoukos) runs a ramshackle venue in one of Hamburg's less salubrious locations, happily churning out fried-everything to his loyal working-class following.

Nothing about his scenario would change if it weren't for the plot demands.

Educated, attractive and upwardly mobile, Zinos' girlfriend Nadine has an opportunity to further her journalism career, so she goes to China.

This is the jeopardy that binds the film together - should he follow her, or stay and transform his fleapit into a jumping venue? The trouble is; you never really feel Zinos cares enough for Nadine to abandon everything and follow her to China.

Apart from a handful of amusing characters, such as unhinged chef Shayn (Birol Ünel), and Zinos' dropkick ex-con brother Illias (Moritz Bleibtreu), every plot device is so blatantly signposted that it's difficult to get swept up in the shifting fortunes of the Soul Kitchen.

So at least there is the music, right? But this venue supposedly specialising in soul music has barely a hint of anything Motown.

Hopefully Fatih Akins' next film The Devil doesn't involve hammy laughs.

Best thing: Thomas Neumann, the narcissistic real estate agent.

Worst thing: Zinos, he simply isn't nearly as funny as his amped-up antics suggest.

See it with: Anyone who thinks that the oxymoron German comedy is some form of English prejudice.

- By Mark Orton