The Kitchen — Review
This review was originally published on Cinemusings on August 6, 2019.
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
The comparisons between Steve McQueen’s Widows and Andrea Berloff’s The Kitchen are inevitable. Sadly, the latter drastically pales in comparison. Although The Kitchen was written and directed by a woman, the female empowerment angle of the film feels disingenuous and forced.
Based on the Vertigo comic book miniseries by Ollie Masters and Ming Doyle, The Kitchen stars Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, and Elisabeth Moss as the wives of Irish mobsters. Set against the backdrop of Hell’s Kitchen in the 1970s, The Kitchen tells the story of these three women taking over the organized crime operations in their neighborhood after their husbands are arrested. Domhnall Gleeson, James Badge Dale, Common, Margo Martindale, Brian d’Arcy James, and Bill Camp also appear in supporting roles.
There’s something grating about the tone of The Kitchen. At times it escalates into unintentional comedy. It’s as though viewers are laughing at the film instead of with it. In sharp contrast, when the movie tries to toss in a few moments of comedic relief, the jokes fall flat. It’s not funny enough to be a comedy, but it also isn’t dramatic enough to be taken seriously. It also can’t be classified as a thriller because it’s deficient in terms of both excitement and tension.
Source: Warner Bros. Pictures
Andrea Berloff’s film is a competent directorial debut. It’s mildly entertaining, but far from memorable. If it gains recognition for anything, it will be for the fact that this is Tiffany Haddish’s first real dramatic role. Haddish proves she’s capable of extending beyond the realm of comedy, but her performance won’t be an awards contender by any means.
One of the movie’s main drawbacks is that it’s devoid of subtlety. The dialogue and the music are incredibly on the nose, especially when the film opens with Etta James’ cover of “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.” The film desperately wants to be a feminist triumph, and that’s what ultimately holds it back. One of the reasons why Widows was so effective was that the characters were fully fleshed out. They were easy to empathize with and worth rooting for. The characters in The Kitchen come across as hollow by comparison. They don’t possess enough depth to make their rise to power feel like a genuine victory. The three stars deliver fine performances, but the screenplay doesn’t provide them with the proper means to truly shine.
The fact that the characters lack substance makes it difficult for viewers to become emotionally invested in their stories. As a result, the pacing of the film feels inconsistent. The editing also doesn’t help with the jarring pacing and tonal shifts. However, most of the film’s problems stem from the screenplay. Fortunately, the narrative picks up in the second half and carries a few surprises with it. To the film’s credit, the script isn’t as predictable as it could have been.
It goes without saying that the industry needs more female filmmakers as well as female-led films. But aside from those two things, The Kitchen has little more to offer. The film wears its message on its sleeve and has no real subtext. It doesn’t have a statement to make beyond the obvious. The Kitchen is guilty of succumbing to a common misconception about female characters. Just because a woman wields a gun or acts like a badass, that doesn’t make her a “strong female character.” A strong female character is one that is well-written. Unfortunately, The Kitchen doesn’t have enough of those.
The Kitchen comes out on August 6, 2019.
