Today's Special

Slight but still moderately engaging, filmmaker David Kaplan's independent film is based on Daily Show contributor Aasif Mandvi's 1998 off-Broadway one-man play Sakina's Restaurant. Mandvi plays Samir, a sous-chef who quits his job when his boss passes him over for promotion, after which he decides to go to Paris and study fine cuisine. But when his father (Harish Patel), who owns a rundown Indian restaurant, suffers a heart attack, Samir is forced to take over the place temporarily, even though he knows nothing about preparing ethnic food. Luckily, however, Samir has just met a free-spirited taxi driver named Akbar (Naseeruddin Shah), who claims to be a great cook (as well as much else), and persuades Samir to let him take over in the kitchen. What follows is sheer formula: the cabbie turns out to be a genius who not only makes the café a smash hit with critics and customers but also teaches Samir what's really important—namely, discovering his cultural roots, which will lead to reconnecting with his dad. And, yes, there's a romantic subplot. While Today's Special predictably trades in ethnic stereotypes, it adds an affectionate spin. A strong optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include deleted scenes (4 min.), an interview with the co-writers (4 min.), a cooking sketch (4 min.), and the music video for “Ina Mina Dika” by Goldspot (4 min.). Bottom line: a decent extras package for an uneven film.] (F. Swietek)