What 'Billy Elliot' (2000) is to dancing, 'Toast' is to cooking -- obviously both were written by the same writer. A young boy, Nigel, from the Midlands of England is literally hungry -- his mother only boiling cans of processed food, and when even that burns, resorting to toast. Yes, delicious with its crispy outside and surprising soft with salty, buttery goodness inside. He's also figuratively hungry for food -- what does cheese taste like, or a real baked birthday cake or minced pie? I can relate. My mom was one grade above his, serving a slab of fried meat and canned vegetables every night. At least she wasn't afraid of bakery goods and I developed a resistance to sugar poisoning very young.
Nigel tried to introduce little enhancements to his mom's kitchen, like a can of marinara sauce with boiled spaghetti, but that flopped with both his parents, as well. His life seemed doomed to a loving mother who nonetheless stifled his culinary aspirations and a stern father who just stifled him. Tragically, mom died, and worse, he had to contend with dad's new interest, Mrs. Potter, who happened to be a magnificent chef. What might have become a great kitchen exploration for the two of them turned into a competition for his dad's affections via his stomach.
This film is based on the true life story of Nigel Slater, famed food critic and journalist. His childhood was fraught with sorrow and loss. An only child in a home with food-eccentric parents, and with a desire to taste, explore and devote his life to food, his life was fraught with constant frustration and alienation. As charming as the story and characters are, almost fairytale like in their strange behavior and idiosyncrasies, cooking just isn't as exciting as, say, dancing (re Billy Elliot). Cooking is a solitary exploit in one small room. The audience can't taste or smell the benefits of the art. Whereas dance is kinetic, exciting, full of movement and sound.
It's not as though there isn't a place for foodie movies, though, but there is a problem with how 'Toast' food was shot. The gorgeous platters of food are displayed in such quick succession, except for the pivotal lemon meringue pie, that one can barely catch a glimpse of them before they're replaced by the next epicurean delight. There is just no time to appreciate them and allow the salivary glands to respond. Earlier this year's 'The Trip' took more time with displaying the food, but the dining company was too obnoxious to endure. The champion of the foodie movie still has to be 'Like Water for Chocolate' (1992), the film that started the genre with an epic talk of forbidden love, revolution and magic. But 'Toast' is still a sensitive coming-of-age biopic about overcoming obstacles to reach and even exceed one's goals.
Toast
Director: S.J. Clarkson
Writer: Lee Hall from the memoir by Nigel Slater
Cast: Freddie Highmore, Victoria Hamilton, Colin Prockter, Ken Stott, Oscar Kennedy, Helena Bonham Carter, Matthew McNulty, Nigel Slater
Time: 96 min.
Opening October 14 at the Opera Plaza in San Francisco
Comments