Meet Zinos Kazantzakis.
(source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1244668/mediaviewer/rm3119162625/)
A restaurant owner in Hamburg. who is struggling to make ends with his business. Everything around him is going sh*t. Tax inpsectors are asking all the time tax payments, there is a tenant, Socrates, that lives in a warehouse of the restaurant and doesn't pay any rent, Zinos' brother, Ilias, is in jail for gambling and hustling offences and lastly -but most important for Zinos- his girlfriend is moving to Shanghai to work there.
(source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1244668/mediaviewer/rm3743065089/)
And if you think that these are enough, Zinos' bad luck continues to hit him all the time:
A old classmate of his, Thomas, covets the estate where the restaurant is built, Ilias (Zinos brother) gets a "special leave" from prison on the condition to work in his brother's restaurant -a condition that Ilias does not intend to fulfill- and Zinos injures his back while trying to move a broken dishwasher, but has no medical insurance to treat his back.
And then comes the two most important persons in Zinos' future: Anna, a phsyiotherapist trying to "fix" Zinos' injured back and Shayn, the eccentric chef that comes to help Zinos with his restaurant...
(source:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1244668/mediaviewer/rm2297841408/)
If all these seems crazy enough,the rest of the film is going frenzier and frenzier non stop. It includes a fall in a funeral, a turkish traditional method for injured backs (do NOT try this at home!), lots of music, feasts, a robbery attempt and an aphrodisiac dessert that influence whoever tastes it. The adventures of Zinos will bring tears in your eyes (from the laughs).
Three persons needed to make this exhilarating comedy: Fatih Akin (Turkish descedant), Adam Bousdoukos (greek descedant) and Moritz Bleibtreu (german descedant). A genial collaboration of three different mentalities. But see... Fatih Akin knows how to portait the Greek desperate Zinos who is fighting against everything and everyone, like a hero from an ancient greek tragedy... He knows well the luben class of Germany and the "thug life" of german petty criminals... He knows Germany's faceless state machine and the American dream that "convinces" people to do everything to achieve it.
There are many hilarious scenes. My favourite? Kemal the "Bonebreaker". I can't stop laughing even when I think about it.
The music? Is a protagonist in almost every scene. From syrtaki to rock and roll, Olympians (a greek 70s pop group) to punk. What Soul Kitchen it would be without music?
But what I want to stop at is the amazing interpretation of Birol Ünel as Shayn. It's as if the role is written for him. (especially the scene with the knoves is magical). An actor who, in addition to dramatic roles, showed his great talent in comedy. What a pity he left so early...
But in conclusion, Soul Kitchen beyond everything else is hymn to optimism. Even if life is giving you lemons, wait... Thins are gonna change!
Thanks for reading!
(source: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1244668/)
Soul Kitchen (2009)
Director: Fatih Akin
Cast: Adam Bousdoukos, Birol Ünel,Moritz Bleibtreu, Anna Bederke,Pheline Roggan,Dorka Gryllus,Wotan Wilke Möhring,Lucas Gregorowicz,Demir Gökgöl,Udo Kier, Monica Bleibtreu.
Time: 1h 39min
Colour: colour
Language : German
Category: Comedy