Soul Kitchen

Released Aug 20, 2010

1h 39m

Comedy

Drama

List

73%

Tomatometer

59 Reviews

74%

Audience Score

5,000+ Ratings

Greek restaurateur Zinos (Adam Bousdoukos) can't seem to get a break. The girl he loves moves to China, so he decides to leave his beloved diner in the hands of his brother, Ilias (Moritz Bleibtreu), who quickly gets in over his head. When the heartbroken Zinos returns, his neighborhood "soul kitchen" has been taken over by the mob and is in debt. He decides to re-open with a hotshot chef, but will his loyal clientele -- used to bad food and good company -- ever return?

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Laura Kern

Film Comment Magazine

Like the aphrodisiac-spiked dessert that Shayn prepares one night, the movie's effects may not linger long, but they are feverishly fun and guilt-free while they last.

Jun 28, 2013

Full Review

Derek Elley

Variety

Nicely cast ensembler, centered on a hopelessly disorganized eatery owner and peopled by a weird collection of lovable eccentrics, is pacey entertainment that hardly puts a foot wrong.

Jan 3, 2011

Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

Akin perfectly captures the antic pace, eccentric personalities, and fickle fortunes of the restaurant game, and his vision of the Soul Kitchen as an all-night bacchanal is irresistible.

Jan 3, 2011

Full Review

David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

[The] attempts to move upscale misfire hilariously...

Jun 8, 2020

Full Review

John Esther

UR Chicago Magazine

Baked with a lot of lousy music, weak acting, clichéd characters and tropes, 'Soul Kitchen' fails to display any of Akin's talents found in 'Head-On' or 'The Edge of Heaven'

Jan 4, 2011

Full Review

Jeff Meyers

Metro Times (Detroit, MI)

Akin has infused his film with so much goodwill and humanity that you swallow every overcooked twist and turn.

Rated: B+

Nov 10, 2010

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Audience Member

Soul Kitchen, a comedy with soul in the kitchen as it should be. Very liberating, as germans are, this flick is suprising and is very well acted. Definitely a must see, it is a fresh tomato inside a blended gazpacho always served cold.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Would love to have liked this - a restaurant comedy romance - but none of the characters is likeable. So much arguing, anger and unkindness. Maybe my funny bone has gone missing. Maybe if you're feeling sympathetic and in the right mood you will enjoy it. Otherwise. (only got through 30 mins.)

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

cinegeek.de Wilhelmsburg in Hamburg ist kein Kiez für Feinschmecker. Hier gibts eher frittierten Fisch mit Pommes. Zinos (Adam Bouskoudos) bedient das und klatscht dem Gast lieblos das Essen auf den Teller. Dann aber bekommt seine Freundin Nadine einen Job in Shanghai und der liebeskranke Zinos erleidet einen Bandscheibenvorfall. Ein neuer Koch muss her! Shayn (der tolle Birol Ünel, dem Akin - so die Gerüchte - eigentlich die Hauptrolle verpassen wollte, wobei Ünel aber mittlerweile in Berlin gestrandet ist) heisst er und verlor gerade seine Arbeit in einem Gourmet Restaurant. Er schickt sich nun an, aus Zinos Spelunke ein Restaurant zu machen. Es entsteht ein Traumladen mit der Musik, die dem Film seinen Titel verpasst hat! Dann aber kommt Zinos Bruder Illias aus dem Knast und droht, den Traum zu zerstören... Soul Kitchen ist ein Film, dem es weniger um die Handlung geht, als um die Situationen. Eigentlich ist fast alles vorhersehbar - eigentlich! Dann aber gelingt Akin eine Wendung, welche die vertraute Situation zu etwas eigenem macht. Der Humor ist schön lässig und es gibt so viele skurrile Verwicklungen wie in einer 30er Jahre Komödie. Wenn Moritz Bleibtreu als Illias rhythmisch mit den Nackenmuskeln zuckt, wissen wir, warum Akin ihm so lange die Treue hält. Der Höhepunkt der Liebesgeschichte zwischen Zinos und seiner Physiotherapeutin findet statt beim türkischen Hausarzt und dann gibts sogar noch einen Einbruch, der schiefgeht, weil der Einbrecher versucht, Autostop mit der Polizei zu machen. Kochfilme werden meistens für ein gediegenes Publikum massgeschneidert, Akins Film ist anders. Hier wird mit Soul und Funk improvisiert während Shayn dasselbe in der Küche tut. Akin selbst improvisiert auch, überdreht seine Situationen, baut Slapstick ein, verliert aber nie den Boden unter den Füssen. Soul Kitchen ist zwar witzig, spielt aber nicht in einer Komödienwelt. Immerhin gehts hier ja auch um die Verteidigung des Kiezes gegen die Heinis, die in der Gegend "investieren" wollen.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

SOUL KITCHEN is a delicious, free spirited story of food, friends, and rock & roll, winner of the Special Jury Prize and the Young Cinema Award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival, and a smash with audiences at the Toronto and Tribeca film festivals. It's a German film with subtitles about a totally disorganized restaurant owner and all the misfits who hang out at his restaurant.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fatih Akin has done several great films. "Auf der anderen Seite" and "Gegen die Wand" are both among my favorites and it's nice to see him handle some ligher and funnier stuff. Zinos is the chef and chief of a shabby restaurant. He's got his regulars and the place goes round but he get's attacked from all corners. The supervisory for food safety, taxes and other people are a constant nag to him. His inprisoned brother and his girlfriend living on the other side of the globe are on his mind all the time and this farse is going hand in hand with his surrent situation at work. We find a lot of humor in the film and the tagline: "Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans" are a perfect fit for this rich film. Feel-good with an edge, filled with superb shots, great music and impressive acting. 7.5 out of 10 chef knives.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fun with great music!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

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Fatih Akin

Director

Adam Bousdoukos

Zinos Kazantsakis

Moritz Bleibtreu

Illias Kazantsakis

Birol Ünel

Shayn Weiss

Lukas Gregorowicz

Lutz

Dorka Gryllus

Anna Mondstein

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Synopsis

Greek restaurateur Zinos (Adam Bousdoukos) can't seem to get a break. The girl he loves moves to China, so he decides to leave his beloved diner in the hands of his brother, Ilias (Moritz Bleibtreu), who quickly gets in over his head. When the heartbroken Zinos returns, his neighborhood "soul kitchen" has been taken over by the mob and is in debt. He decides to re-open with a hotshot chef, but will his loyal clientele -- used to bad food and good company -- ever return?

Director: Fatih Akin
Screenwriter: Fatih Akin, Adam Bousdoukos
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Corazón International
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: German
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 20, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 10, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $274.4K
Runtime: 1h 39m

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