DIRECTOR
Alonso Ruizpalacios
Una película de policías, Museo, Güeros

STARS
Raúl Briones, Eduardo Olmos, Lee Sellars, Rooney Mara, Anna Díaz, Spenser Granese and Oded Fehr

As I left the studio hosting the screening of La cocina I attended, a fellow attendee said to me “that is one restaurant I will never visit”! For so many reasons, I do share these sentiments. My immediate thoughts were “thank goodness I don’t work in such a culture” and “I really hope the hospitality sector has proper governance in place to manage and prevent workplace culture being as toxic to work in as the one depicted”.

I am aware I’m making La cocina to appear as a true story that it isn’t. My thoughts are derived from my own hands-on experience in the hospitality industry and themes the film explores. La cocina, whose literal translation is the kitchen, is set inside an upscale Times Square eatery / tourist trap called “The Grill” and ultimately chronicles the experiences and vulnerabilities of illegal immigrant workers. Interestingly though, unlike the film’s black and white cinematography, the characters and characterisation are anything but that. Among the employees seeking a visa to stay in America, most of which are Latin Americans, are some antagonists. Not all of the mostly white American restaurant managers and front of house staff are antagonists themselves.

Another theme I identified in the film is the abuse of relationships in its various forms. Sadly, the foundations for these to arise largely come from precisely what I’ve mentioned above. One thing all of our illegal immigrant characters have in common is their striving to live their American dream. Their desperation and vulnerability invariably means they will obey just about any order, are made to feel as though they owe everything to those who granted them that opportunity and falter courtesy of acting out of desperation.

I am also aware I’m making La cocina to appear as very bleak. To say that would mirror the film’s photography again. Because so many back of house staff are Spanish speaking, a genuine and jovial camaraderie blossoms between them. Furthermore, La cocina is correctly classified as a dark comedy/drama. Let me tell you, its propensity for humour is eccentric to say the least. Especially involving one of the few leading characters, Pedro (Raúl Briones, pictured below).

La cocina is not a film I could instantly form an overall opinion of, is at times perplexing to watch, and has its own challenges. While writing this review, there are two factors that have become more apparent now than they were during and after watching the film. 1) The screenplay, based on a 1957 stage play titled The Kitchen, does have its faults but is mostly well constructed and penned. Much better than my initial impression allowed for. 2) While La cocina boasts some marvellous cinematography (that component is instantly obvious), the directing stumbles more than once. 

To justify these points a little, the jarring opening of the film introduces us to 19-year-old Estela (played by Anna Díaz). From her perspective, we are led to “The Grill” as she, a non-English speaking immigrant, searches for Pedro to gain employment at the restaurant. Soon after her questionable interview and immediate start are over, this character is cast to the background like a kitchen utensil that is seldom used. This anchoring character could easily have grounded the film when needed, and it was ultimately needed. A sub-plot involving the hunt for missing funds from the cash register is a very complimentary example of how the film utilises its setting, genre meshing, ensemble of characters and other sub-plots. Some of the lengthier dialogue exchanges and experimental visual work, seemingly intended to make the film more arthouse, blow the film’s run time past the 2-hour mark it never needed to be. This arbitrarily invites tedium, causes the plots and themes to momentarily meander and masquerades its key points.

If this setting and some thoughtful analysis sounds appealing to you, La cocina does thankfully have a redeeming finish to make it worthwhile.

La cocina is showing in selected cinemas across Australia from May 15th, 2025.

Moviedoc thanks Vendetta Films and TM Publicity for the invitation to the screening of this film.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

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