Hambre

If you were to take the film, "Rockstar": where a naive yet hidden talent is is plucked from the shadows of obscurity and thrust into the spotlight of fame and notoriety, then this is that movie...only substituting the stage for the stove.

"Aoy" is a young woman, sweating as a fry cook in her father's run-down take-out shop in the slums of Thailand. Unhappy with her station in life, by a sheer chance encounter with a particular diner sends her destiny to the top of the food chain, led by the most famous and prestigious culinary master in the country..."Chef Paul."

Chef Paul's food is of the highest standard sourced from the highest quality suppliers. Aoy soon discovers in Chef Paul's meticulous, cutting-edge kitchen, there is no room for error, and nothing short of excellence. Only the most wealthy of society can afford Chef Paul's services. Aoy learns her culinary skills quickly, but also quickly learns where the line of quality meets pretentiousness. It's only when she crosses that line, that a plate of food for the soul is abandoned in favour of selling your soul on a plate.

I was not familiar with any of the cast, but I must say, their performances were outstanding. The central character "Aoy" played by Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying was absolutely captivating. Her stern yet flawed mentor, "Chef Paul", played by Nopachai Chaiyanam gave a riveting performance. The cinematography, set decoration, sound design, and locations gave as much colour and flavour as the food prepared in this movie. The costumes ranging from slum-wear to millionaire were flawless.

This type of movie is quite common as the proverbial, "Grass is Greener on the Other Side" film, though don't let this stop you from giving it a watch. It is a slow-burner, running at almost two-and-a-half hours, yet is excellently paced and never gives a moment to drag. Though, I would have liked to have seen the characters pushed a little further to emotional breaking point to learn what made them truly tick. We get this somewhat from Chef Paul, but not so much from the other characters.

Overall, this was a satisfying film to come out of from South-East Asia, Martial arts was substituted in favour of the culinary arts. The extensive range of food would satisfy any palette.

This is definitely a film the famous, Uncle Roger must review!

Tries to hard, but I still found this movie enjoyable. All the ingredients for a great movie are here, but they have been overcooked into a kind of mainstream stew.

Acting performances are for the most on point. Presentation and production value are there and deliver. Basically most aspects are done pretty well. But sometimes it is very over dramatic, ridiculous and features a few tropes. It comes across self-indulgent and takes itself too seriously.

Apart from that, you will find a mostly interesting story that takes one or two unexpected turns and is well executed. It offers a little change if you're currently having a limited palette.

The Thai food movie that's a mix of "The Menu" and "Whiplash" is somewhat similar in some ways, but it's not entirely a copy because it has its own storyline. The story is about a middle-class girl who dreams of elevating herself in high society by showcasing her cooking skills. However, her successful recipe doesn't make her as famous as she expected, and the villainous chef is straightforwardly evil. The characters lack depth in the latter part of the movie, turning it into a typical good vs. Evil scenario, leading to a happy ending that's too easy and predictable. Darker viewers may be slightly disappointed, but overall, the movie is enjoyable, with the lead actor charmingly portraying the role, making the viewers engaged in every scene. There are many beautifully shot cooking scenes, and the production value is high. It is the first Thai movie on Netflix that feels like it has reached a high international standard.

I remember Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying from 2017's Bad Genius and here too, she's phenomenal. While the easy (and obvious) way to look at Hunger is Whiplash meets The Menu, the writing and direction are both pretty solid. They have an interesting tale to tell here; one that doesn't just stick to the hierarchy in a fine-dining restaurant's kitchen. Of course, those bits are as hard-hitting as they come, but the socio-economic layers that the writing offers, sweeten the pot. The protagonist's character arc is clear-cut, and the transitions that she goes through - physically, emotionally, and financially - are always at the film's forefront.

Not only is the film super engaging, it makes you root for the protagonist's eventual realizations. How far are you willing to go to stay relevant and successful in the modern era? And how much success and relevance is too much? Very pertinent questions like these are answered through fiery exchanges between the leads, against the backdrop of deliciously cooked food (and some grotesque consumption). The film also doesn't shy away from doing its bit on "eating the rich" and speaking in detail of their high-profile perversions. From a thematic perspective, Hunger has as much in common with the Malayalam film Ustad Hotel as the films I mentioned above. Nothing comes above family, I guess?

The scene at the hospital between Nopachai Chaiyanam and Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying is spectacular. Not only does it open eyes to the antagonist's understanding of life, but it also throws darts at the protagonist for the choices she's about to make. Same goes for the climactic showdown between the two, but this section treats celebrity connoisseurs as objects of feeding, hence the lessened impact. If Netflix is doing something right, it's in giving Thai cinema the funding it needs to make competent drama-thrillers like this with great production values and cinematography.

This is a film of two halves - unfortunately, these two halves belong in different movies.

The first half has the tone and feel of scabrous satire, clearly wanting to deliver social commentary. Here we are skirting really, really close to the same territory explored by The Menu. The second half discards this and, instead, mimics the dynamic and arc of Wall Street - only with restauranteurs. Which is a shame: the first half was visually arresting and had the potential to be both provocative and interesting. The second half less so.

This is another one of those movies which cause me to scratch my head: what did this want to be? What does the film maker imagine this film to be about?

If you're interested in writing, film-making or whatnot, there is such a thing as the elevator pitch. You're in a lift with some hotshot producer. You've got until those elevator doors ping to pitch your movie. This film, alas, fails that simple test.