Review by Sean Boelman

For a while, competitive cooking shows were all the rage on television, but it seems like their time has mostly come and gone. The Danish drama A Taste of Hunger would have been a hit had it come out in the height of their popularity, and while Christoffer Boe’s film is mostly enjoyable, it also isn’t spectacular.

The movie follows a couple whose personal life becomes rife with turmoil when they set out to earn a Michelin star, the highest honor possible in the culinary world. However, those hoping for a scrumptious cooking thriller about chefs trying to create the best dish possible may be disappointed, because this is more interested in the behind-the-scenes drama, for better or worse.

One of the most frustrating things about the film is that it doesn’t seem to understand how to establish stakes. It really banks on the audience knowing the significance of a Michelin star (granted, it’s a pretty well-known accolade) for their understanding as to why it’s important. And in terms of the melodrama, the movie leans into the histrionics without really heightening the emotion.

It definitely would have helped had the characters been a bit more well-developed. It’s clear that Boe and co-writer Tobias Lindholm are trying for the characters to be flawed but relatable, and while they aren’t exactly unlikable, they also come across as frustratingly distant, it also doesn’t help the audience connect.

The film also doesn’t say anything particularly interesting for the genre. What is said about the toll that chasing perfection takes on a person isn’t new or different from what similar movies have explored before, but perhaps more damningly, the way it says it doesn’t feel distinctive whatsoever.

Katrine Greis-Rosenthal and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau are without a doubt the best parts of this movie. They both give very good performances that are far more grounded than the material they are working with. Greis-Rosenthal, in particular, is impressive, giving a turn that feels like much more than the soap opera lead which it effectively is.

There are the obligatory food shots sprinkled throughout the film, and while they look extremely appetizing, they are too sparse in quantity for them to be especially memorable. It’s a shame that the culinary aspects of the movie seem like an afterthought here, as it is this context that makes it stand out.

A Taste of Hunger has some really strong things going on, and it’s a mostly entertaining watch, but there is not enough substance here. It’s like going to most fancy restaurants — the entrée may be tasty, but the portion is underwhelming for the price.

A Taste of Hunger hits theaters and VOD on January 28.

​Rating: 3/5

Review by Dan Skip Allen

Films about people with disabilities or diseases aren't anything new in Hollywood or foreign countries' film industries. Even films featuring the main character with Down syndrome have been done before, most recently The Peanut Butter Falcon in 2019. The New Zealander film Poppy is the latest film featuring a main character with Down syndrome.
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Poppy (Libby Hunsdale) is a young woman who has Down syndrome. She's relatively high functioning. She even works at her father's automotive shop with her brother (Ari Boyland). Her brother is not dealing with a recent tragedy very well. She's trying to become more independent. The first step is getting her license to drive. Her brother though doesn't think a person with her disability should have much freedom. She finds a friend who will help her, though, in a local busker (Seb Hunter). The two become quite close.

This film has a lot to say about various topics including Down syndrome, alcoholism, and responsibilities. This is a very educational movie with topics a lot of people can learn from. This disability featured in the film is usually one that has to have a lot of supervision, but Poppy has the drive to want to be on her own and be independent. Having a boyfriend, driver's license, and a paying job help her with this.

The filmmaker, Linda Niccol, who's also the film's writer, gives Poppy a lot of obstacles for her to overcome. One of them is her brother. She has enough going on in her life already and her brother is something she never thought she'd have problems with. His alcoholism is quite the problem for both of them. She has more of a mature nature as a disabled person than he does. Her drive to succeed in life no matter what helps her deal with these obstacles.

Aside from Ari Boyland, the other actors in the film are relative newcomers to acting. Especially Libby Hunsdale. Still, she seems very seasoned with the various scenes she has and all the emotions she has to go through. The romantic scenes, as well as the action sequences, show she knows what she's doing. Having Boyland to work off of is just what she needs to stretch herself as an actor. Niccol gets the most out of this newbie and the film is better off because of it.

Niccol shows she deeply cares for this subject matter and the young actress who portrays the main character. She has a lot to overcome but handles it all like a seasoned pro. This film handles a person with Down syndrome very respectively. It shows that these people can be productive citizens in civilization. They are people that need love and care and this film shows that from various angles. Niccol was the perfect director/writer for this material.

Poppy is screening at the 2022 Slamdance Film Festival, which runs virtually from January 27-February 6.

Rating: 3/5

Review by Camden Ferrell

​Clean is a new thriller movie that might remind viewers of recent films like John Wick or Nobody. Written and directed by Paul Solet, this movie had its premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. It features a determined performance from Adrien Brody, but unlike the films it evokes, it lacks the drive, energy, and emotion that is essential to making these movies memorable.
 
Clean is a garbage man with a murky past. In an attempt to reconcile these mistakes, he aims to live a life of redemption. His string of good intentions and actions unintentionally make him the target of a small-time crime boss. Clean must now go on a journey of violence to reconcile with his past. This story is interesting, and while it isn’t original, it’s a great premise for an action thriller such as this one.
 
From the start, the script, written by Solet and Brody, feels incredibly cliché. It’s a boilerplate thriller that replays tired tropes and dialogue that doesn’t do much to grab the audience’s attention. It may feel like John Wick on some superficial levels, but it lacks any of the heart that made it great. The writing feels fairly stale and doesn’t do much to adequately tell Clean’s story.

Unsurprisingly, Brody is quite good as a leading man in this movie. He has always been talented, and even though this is not among his best works, it’s undeniable that he is almost singlehandedly holding the film together. Brody’s performance proves to be the lone highlight as the supporting cast of Glenn Fleshler and Richie Merritt, among others, is bland and pale in comparison to him.
 
A movie like this one can still have narrative shortcomings but still succeed if its action is superb. Unfortunately, I found myself underwhelmed by the execution of the film’s big action sequences. It isn’t as high-octane as I would have liked, and the choreography of the fights aren’t creative or particularly engaging. An action-thriller lives and dies by its fights, and I didn’t find much to commend in the action of this movie.
 
Clean wanted to be what John Wick is, but it falls flat on many levels. Nobody can deny that Adrien Brody enjoyed this role, but he couldn’t save the film and its many shortcomings. It’s not actively unpleasant at all, but it doesn’t do much to justify its existence throughout.
 
Clean is in theaters and on demand January 28.
 
Rating: 2.5/5

Review by Sean Boelman

Cooper Raiff’s directorial debut Shithouse seemed like it captured lightning in a bottle, a relatable romantic comedy with its finger on the pulse of what young people are feeling right now. His sophomore feature Cha Cha Real Smooth proves that he is maybe the best young voice in filmmaking today, an equally compelling film at a larger scale.

The film follows an aimless young man who is struggling to find his way fresh out of college, as he finds a job as a Mitzvah party host and forms a bond with a mother and her autistic daughter. For a film that has so many subplots, Raiff manages to make everything feel fully developed, which is part of what makes it so charming.

The script is impeccably paced, finding a wonderful balance between its humor and its more sentimental moments. The film hooks the viewer with light and airy comedy before reeling the film in with the final act that is equal parts heartwarming and soul-crushing. And even though the film’s plot starts to seem a bit maudlin at times, Raiff reins it in by basing it in honest emotion.

Ultimately, the themes that are explored in the film are nothing new, but Raiff brings such an authentic voice to it that it feels fresh and original. Few filmmakers as young as Raiff have gotten the opportunity to work at this scale yet, and so other young people will likely feel a deep empathy with what he has written.

The film also subverts a lot of expectations when it comes to character archetypes. The protagonist starts out as an aimless, lovesick college graduate trying to find his way in life, but it soon becomes clear that this film isn’t about him trying to grow up — it’s about him realizing that he already has. The co-lead is equally unorthodox, not a manic pixie dream girl by any means.

Like Shithouse, Raiff also acts in the lead role in this film, and that is what makes a lot of it feel so personal. His chemistry with Dakota Johnson is exceptional, and Johnson is doing some career-best work, with an extraordinary amount of vulnerability. Also noteworthy is Vanessa Burghardt, whose performance should be a breakout.

This production definitely had more money at its disposal than Raiff’s first, and so it feels much more like a traditional studio comedy. That said, there are a few touches that give it a nice sense of style. Raiff shows a developing talent for sight gags, with a few really funny ones set up. And the soundtrack is filled with some great song choices that give it a distinctly youthful feel.

Cha Cha Real Smooth is one of the most personal, intimate things to have come out of this year’s Sundance. After an already great debut, Raiff has shown that he still has plenty yet to say in his career.

Cha Cha Real Smooth screened at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, which runs virtually from January 20-30.

Rating: 5/5

Review by Adam Donato