Alright, it might be too cold for dinner and a movie, so about a movie about dinner? Or more precisely, a movie in which food is so important to the story that it is almost a character in and of itself. Smell-o-vision is still not a reality, but these movies depict food with such reverence that sometimes you can actually experience the gloroius aromas wafting through your television. Warning: don’t watch under the influence, serious munchies to follow, this what we call Pants Porn!
Jiro Dreams of Sushi
This study of Jiro’s pursuit of fish perfection is filled with many shots of mouth-watering, beautufylly composed sushi. The main character is so compelling and his dedication to his craft so admirable that even land-lubbers will get wrapped up in this story, and the images of the fish are like art. This is a snapshot of a true master who has devoted his life to honoring fish and serving only the best to his customers, and the sushi shown is the ultimate depiction of perfection.
Big Night
Mambo Italiano! This movie, co-written, co- directed and starring Stanley Tucci is charming and subtle in some ways but is not shy about the love of food shared by the two central characters. The painstaking preparation that goes into making one very important meal draws you in and expresses the depths of love these characters feel for food and how all their dreams depend on the execition of this meal.
Ratatouille
Rats in the kitchen are never cute, except in this darling movie about a rodent with crazy cooking skills. Perfect for the (hungry) kid in you…
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Who hasn’t wanted to swim in a stream of chocolate and have unlimited access to every variety of candy and a team of little orange Oompa Loompas? Gene Wilder’s wacky, brilliant depiction of the mad Wonka is much preferable to the creepy Johnny Depp version, but the candy steals the show every the time…
Goodfellas
One of my favorite movies, who can forget the scene of Paul Sorvino carefully chopping the garlic with a razor blade in prison? Has so much importance ever been put on one pot of sauce (gravy) than at the end of the movie, with helicopters hovering overhead? The food is the only character in this movie that you can trust to be good.
