THE MENU

US, 2022, 106 minutes, Colour.

Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult,  Hong Chau, Janet McTeer, Paul Adelstein, John Leguizamo, Aimee Carrera, Reed Birney, Judith Light, Rebecca Kuhn, Robbie Yang, Arturo Castro,

Directed by Mike Mylod.

The title is very direct, clear, succinct. This film is not!

It all begins with great hope, anticipation. Guests arriving for a ferry which will take them across to an island which has a celebrated restaurant. The most eager of the guests is Tyler, Nicholas Hoult as a young businessman who has had a long admiration for the chef and is eager to enjoy the meal as well as the presence of the celebrity. Along with him is Margot, his companion, stepping in for Tyler’s friend who is not able to come (a significant fact which is important for the development of the plot!). Margot does not know much about the restaurant or the chef and has her petulant moments. Other guests include an older husband and wife who have visited the restaurant many times. There is also a very popular cooking critic with her editor. And a group of three young vain and presumptuous wheeler dealers.

So, we have the characters, the restaurant setting, the atmosphere for the night. The guests all hosted by an ever-present and controlling maitre de, Elsa.

Enter the Chef, Ralph Fiennes, some applause, some acclamation, and a lot of adulation on the part of Tyler to Margot’s distaste.

From this moment on, The Menu is not predictable at all. And, despite the eeriness at times, the audience is drawn in, intrigued by what the Chef and his staff prepare, some moments of disgust at what is presented to them, wondering whether we would be as subservient as the guests are, at first, to what the Chef is asking.

Particularly intriguing of the staff, all in white uniform, militarily responding to the commands of Chef, his loud clapping of hands controlling them – and shocking the guests as well, to commanding so that many of them are feeling like rebelling, others, like Tyler, doing everything that he is told, relishing the food, ignoring the repercussions for the other guests.

One of the important things that Chef commands of his guests is that they relish taste, that while they ingest, they are not feeding themselves. Taste and delicacy are the order of the day.

And then, The Menu, becomes even more unpredictable, some violence, controlled by the chef, and a gradual unmasking of each of the guests, their connection with the Chef, the past, consequences… It is something of a bizarre restaurant examination of conscience and forced confession.

We realise that it is all been planned. But, Margot is not part of the plan so that the scenario moves off course, but Chef contriving situations for the plan to get on track.

So, while the Chef might have godlike qualities, there is also something quietly diabolical about Ralph Fiennes’ presence and performance. He has been the judge of his guests. Now is the time for sentence – and, as with so many popular American films and novels, not the fire next time, but the fire this time, apocalyptic.

But, not quite! If one were to look for very smart caption for a review of The Menu, a suggestion would be, “Order the Cheeseburger”.

1. The straightforward title? And the Chefs actual menu in the film?
2. The impact of the film for food lovers, Cook’s, gourmets…? The range of food, the preparation, the menu, the emphasis on taste? The impact of the film for those not caught up with food?
3. The setting, the group arriving for the fairy, the trip across to the island, Elsa as host, her being in control, expectations of the guests? The reputation of the restaurant? Going to the building, the dormitory for the workers? The demands being made on them, military organisation? Going past the mansion where Chef lived? The musical score?
4. The initial focus on Tyler, young, absolutely enthusiastic, naive, taking Margot, not with his initial date and the repercussions for the progress of the evening? The tension between the two? Margot, her manner, the revelation of her background, a way of dealing with people, blunt and direct?
5. The other guests, the food critic and her manner, collaboration, with her editor? The older couple, having been to the restaurant 11 times? The relationship between the two, tensions? The husband and his attention to Margot? The three young businessman, wheeler dealers, brash? The actor, his vanity and pretensions, with his PA, their interactions, her stealing from him?
6. And the irony of the Chef’s mother at the restaurant, her continued drinking? The Chef and his treatment of his mother?
7. The beginning of the meal, Elsa in control, the waiter with the drinks and explanations of the quality? The vast staff, uniforms, working in unison, responding to Chef, loud affirmations?
8. The appearance of Chef, Ralph Fiennes, presence in manner, his uniform, speaking to the guests? Suave manner, yet menacing? His explanation of the range of dishes? (And, at the end of each course, the content details appearing at the top of the screen?) His emphasis on taste and not ingesting? Tyler and his absolute enthusiasm? The young men, boisterous? The others listening attentively?
9. The range of courses, their introduction, the explanations by Chef, the repercussions for the guests? Tyler indulging, intervening, being put in his place by Chef? Margot and her not eating?
10. The move towards the sinister, revelations about the guests, Chef and his treatment of Tyler, humiliating him? The background of the critic and her criticisms even though she put Chef on the map? The editor and his wariness? The older couple, the revelation of his affairs with Margot, the wife and knowing? The three men, their deals, fraud?
11. The increasing tensions, the succession of courses and her explanations, their tastes?
12. The episode with the cook, his menu, his failure with the meal, Chef inviting him to shoot himself?
13. The evening moving towards an examination of conscience, and of torts confessions? Chef playing God but also playing the devil and his torment?
14. The offering of time for the men to escape, the going out into the grounds, the role being caught, brought back? Humiliated?
15. Tyler, invited to cook, his failure in cooking, the humiliation, his hanging himself?
16. The order of the night spoilt by the unexpected presence of Margot? Chef confronting her, her answering him back? His reaction to the menu being disordered? His offering her the choice of being with the cook’s, or not? Her being tormented, fears, attempted escape, ringing the police, the arrival of the ferry captain, and the irony that he was an actor?
17. The evening turned into some kind of mayhem, the focus on Margot, the undersheriff who came into prominence with the final courses, and the fact that she had introduced the death theme?
18. The growing sense of doom? Everybody to die? Fears and reactions?
19. Margot, the interactions with Chef, her asking for a cheeseburger, his preparing it, her small bite?
20. The theme of fire, apocalyptic tone, judgement and hell, her setting the fire, the escape, the restaurant and everybody going up in flames?
21. And her sitting at the wharf, eating the cheeseburger? Leaving the audience to puzzle and mull over what they have seen and experienced?