Toast

great storytelling and i cried a little.....

Toast

Someone recommended this movie to me, since I love to cook and enjoy all things about the act of cooking up wonderful things. It came up amidst a discussion of great foodie movies, and I thought I ought to watch this one, in my eternal search to find something to top the perfection that was Eat Drink Man Woman (1994). This movie fell short on multiple aspects. As a general narrative, one of the things every good story tries to do is build a sense of empathy around the protagonist. In this case he seems like a whiny, arrogant, spoilt brat and there's very little in his struggle that anyone might identify or empathise with. His relationship with his father is strained, but both his father and biological mother are portrayed as such cardboard cutout characters that they don't seem convincing at all. The mother is shown to be a lousy cook, and even the representation of this inability seems to have been overacted and exaggerated in an utterly unconvincing way. Nothing the protagonist does even paints himself in any positive light. His struggle doesn't seem greater than any that anyone watching the movie might have had to endure. The movie could have easily redeemed itself in its portrayal of food, but they only appear as cursory flashes as Helena Bonham Carter's character cook up one storm after another, with the camera barely pausing on a single dish for more than half a second. I understand this is a TV movie, but there's a clear lack of skill in the direction and writing of this movie. I think the actors did the best they could have with what they were given to work with, but the movie does really drag for the first 40 minutes or so, before Helena Bonham Carter's character shows up and actually starts to make the movie watchable. To be clear, the movie doesn't drag because it's boring, but because it's mostly spent with this annoying child who whines and throws tantrums, and his parents have no depth beyond his father hating him (unreasonably, without even trying to understand why) and mother being a good for nothing sick person. Some scenes even seem quite hard to believe, like one where the boy brings home some spaghetti to cook, and the father breaks a piece of raw spaghetti and goes 'what is this, it's so hard!' I find it extremely hard to believe that people in the UK wouldn't know how spaghetti works in the 70s. This movie began to annoy me within the first five minutes of watching it, and did nothing to relieve this, only going from bad to worse. I only chose to write this review in case another fellow culinary enthusiast decided to watch this film hoping for a great food-related movie. Don't, you will be sorely disappointed.

A well written and excellently acted story of Nigel Slater's growing up and the competition he has for his fathers (Ken Scott) affections with his father's second partner / wife played by Helena Bonham Carter. Nigel's desire to cook as a teenager is fun compared to the sombre start which covers his younger years and the death of his mother whose culinary skills were somewhat lacking. Having got bored with the family Nigel turns to working in a pub where he meets his first boyfriend Stuart, a trainee ballerina. A tragic ending has Nigel's father die leaving him with his enemy before moving to London to become a chef at the Savoy. Great British drama in the vain of Billy Elliot and written by Lee Hall Billy Elliott's writer.

This movie is based on the ultimate conceit, that we know about the central character and recognise that he is brilliant and famous. I had never heard of Nigel Slater before I watched this movie, although the people I watched this with had, and indicated that he is a famous "food writer", whatever that is. OK, we all have to do something, but in my book, "food writing" does not rank in my top 1000 meaningful professions that have made the world a better place. A film about the early life of Napoleon or Alexander the Great I can understand, but about a food writer? Give me a break. My hosts told me that Nigel Slater abhors the "celebrity chef" phenomenon, as well he should, but I find it hard to reconcile this statement with someone who has written his autobiography in his relative youth and who not only endorses but appears in a cameo in, a movie about himself. OK, on to the film itself. It is basically a tale of nothing at all, the story of all our lives. Which one of us hasn't had issues growing up? Who hasn't been a surly teenager? Who hasn't had differences of opinion with their parents? Why we should feel sorry for poor Nigel is hard to imagine and given that he is portrayed as an unpleasant child who morphs into an unpleasant teenager why should we care? The film ends with the young Nigel being taken under the wing of an established chef, who nudge, nudge, wink, wink, for those in the know, happens to be played in a cameo role by the famous Nigel himself. Well isn't that just cute. It ends on a note of "and the rest is history", but certainly in my case it isn't because I had no idea who he was and after enduring this conceit-fest had not the least desire to find out. A complete waste of a few thousand feet of film and a few million dollars.

The movie has some nostalgic view of old England. And than again it is full of clichés and very old beliefs. Now imagine that the boy is growing in a family, where he is missing father's love interpreted as food, doesn't show nay respect of why the food is missing and dream of eating. Of course, the coming competition with the second mom will lead to his becoming a gay (of course opening to his feeling!). But we are 2010 and this is an old story , very old one and not because it takes place in the previous century. The movie let us believe that the second mom is somehow bad, why we do not know! She searches only for a home. The father in the search for peace, finally finds it, but the boy is not able to understand. The movie is full of many questions , which the plot cannot answer and therefore it is pathetic very very pathetic one!

I loved watching this very nice trip into the past! The way all the actors portrayed their characters was amazing. Particularly Helena Bonham Carter is great in this movie! Watching the title character, Nigel, progress throughout the film, discovering himself as well as his love for food, made the film a lot more interesting to watch. Apart from that, the different types of food being cooked made you long for a taste! The only down point of the movie, was the abrupt ending. In the last five minutes so much happened, that should have needed to be explained more. It would have been nice to see what happens next, after Nigel started his new job, after leaving his home and Mrs. Potter. All in all, "Toast" was a lovely trip into nostalgic, vintage Britain, with superb actors, and some interesting twists (like Nigel realizing something important about himself and his identity) Definitely a film one should watch!!!

I have written 2 marks out of 10 for the sheer good production of the film, as well as the actors in it. However, as the storyline unfolds I felt more and more uncomfortable with it. It seems that Mr Slater - a well known Chef in the UK over the past 20 years or so - has a lot to answer for. His portray as a child and as a young adult left me cold and disheartened. That boy was spoilt, obnoxious and a snob. Seriously I would not have liked to have met him at any time past or present. His unreasonable and disturbing distaste of Mrs Potter - his father's second wife - is a testimony of his unkind and non empathic true self. I doubt if he has changed for the better in later years. I have to confess I did not enjoy this story. It was not entertaining nor educational in any way. In fact the only thing I could say about it is that it was disturbing. Very disturbing.

A very fine little movie. And a good exhibition for the actors, who have plenty to work with here. Helena Bonham Carter has a lot of fun and she is cast perfectly. The young actor is really good too. And while I am not always fond of the "based on ...", this feels rather like a movie then say a biopic. It is light and has a lot of comedy to it, so it is not heavy drama. On the other hand, I don't think it is good for any recipes. I certainly don't remember anything much from that part of the movie. But you know it is called Toast for a reason, of course. A very nice and decent little movie, that is worth your time :o)

The film was well paced, the characters were laid out simply. The film is a satisfying drama entwined with a cookery ideas class which will make your mouth water. My only complaint is this may be the only biographical film where you are not keen on the lead character, who can't help but be put across on screen as a stubborn teenager that doesn't think outside the box, he maybe a kid with a set agenda but he never seems grow beyond his character, the only thing that grows is his cooking ability and maybe is sexuality. But he is anything but sweet. Instead he holds a life long grudge against someone who doesn't deserve it.