This captivating documentary focuses on the impact of Michelin ratings on a number of world-class chefs who either crave the international guide's elusive three stars or have turned their backs on related pressure. The first half of the film introduces 10 chefs whose restaurants—in locales ranging from New York to Europe to Japan—are widely revered. Filmmaker Lutz Hachmeister provides a useful profile of each culinary artist: backgrounds, food experiments, kitchen philosophy, and more. We meet Jean-Georges Vongerichten, who operates several restaurants around the world from a base in the Trump Tower; Rene Redzepi, considered by many to be the best chef in the world, with a focus on Scandinavian cuisine (but who only has two stars to date); and father-and-daughter team Juan Mari and Elena Arzak, who use a machine for capturing and converting flavors into powdered seasoning. Most intriguing are two chefs largely unconcerned with ratings: Tokyo's Hideki Ishikawa, whose eatery has three stars that he considers mostly irrelevant; and the fascinating Olivier Roellinger, a former chemist who closed his celebrated restaurant after surviving a violent crime. Hachmeister interviews Michelin's head, learning about the organization's use of unidentified testers who determine ratings. But far more interesting are the glimpses into the inner workings of the chefs' establishments, from staff meetings to kitchen dynamics to after-hours planning for the next day. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
Three Stars
(2010) 94 min. In English, German, Dutch, Japanese, Italian, Spanish & French w/English subtitles. DVD: $27.95. First Run Features (avail. from most distributors). Volume 28, Issue 2
Three Stars
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: