THE KITCHEN – “A majorly undercooked crime drama”
RATING
DIRECTOR
Andrea Berloff (Directorial debut)
STARRING
- Melissa McCarthy as Kathy Brennan
- Tiffany Haddish as Ruby O'Carroll
- Elisabeth Moss as Claire Walsh
- Domhnall Gleeson as Gabriel O'Malley
- Bill Camp as Alfonso Coretti
- Margo Martindale as Helen O'Carroll
- Common as Gary Silvers
- Brian d'Arcy James as Jimmy Brennan
- James Badge Dale as Kevin O'Carroll
- Jeremy Bobb as Rob Walsh
SYNOPSIS
Is based on the DC Vertigo comic book miniseries of the same name by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle.
When gangster husbands wind up in prison in the 1970s, their wives take over their organization and become Hell's Kitchen's most powerful mobsters.
REVIEW SUMMARY
The Kitchen is a majorly undercooked crime drama that wastes a whole lot of potential! I really wanted to like this film given the cast and source material, but it just misses the mark on so many levels. A lot of what's wrong here can be traced back to the direction of the movie (sorry Berloff). To say it has major rhythm / pacing issues would be putting it pretty mildly. Our first time director also never really makes anything look as cinematic as it should, giving way to a rather stale viewing experience. Shoddy editing and camerawork aside, the plot also veers into nonsensical territory with head scratching character motivations. It's not a complete wash though, as performances are fairly enjoyable across the board, with Haddish in particular flexing serious acting muscles in her first dramatic role. The premise is also interesting (albeit a little too similar to 2018's phenomenal Widows), and there is a handful of fun moments of vengeance from our badass lady clan. But, if it's Scorsese-like storytelling you're looking for, you aren't going to find it here. Sorry to say, this Kitchen needs some extensive renos.
BOX OFFICE TOP 5
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