Kino immer anders
One day in the backstage of “The Grill,” a high-pressured Times Square kitchen operating at a relentless pace. The employees, mostly undocumented, churn out order after order in hopes of leaving this place one day. Meanwhile, they nurture their own dreams trying to hold their jobs and retain a sense of dignity. But when 800 dollars vanishes from the register, the restaurant’s fragile equilibrium shatters. Underlying racial tensions arise, suspicion spreads like wildfire, escalating the kitchen into a high-stakes thriller.
After exploring youth protests in Güeros (2014) and colonialism in Museo (2018), Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios exposes the exploitation of migrant workers within the belly of a hectic New York restaurant. Adapted from Arnold Wesker’s 1957 play, the dialogues retain a strong theatrical sense, and are coupled with virtuoso camerawork and striking, glacial black-and-white imagery. Restless like The Bear and nerve-wracking like Boiling Point, La cocina delivers a breathless depiction of kitchen work, mixing it intelligently with complex multicultural turmoil and biting critique of the American Dream. A perfect opening to this semester’s cycle!
Sixtine Asselot
