La Cocina

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La Cocina

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2h 19m

Drama

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71%

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42 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

La Cocina captures the frenetic energy of the lunch rush at The Grill, a bustling restaurant in Manhattan's Times Square. When money goes missing from the till, suspicion falls on Pedro (Raúl Briones), an undocumented cook who dreams of a better life and is in love with Julia (Rooney Mara), an American waitress who cannot commit to a relationship. Rashid, the restaurant owner, has promised to help Pedro obtain legal status, but a shocking revelation about Julia compels Pedro to spiral into an act that threatens to shut down one of the city's busiest kitchens once and for all. The film is a comic and tragic tribute to the invisible people who keep our restaurants running and our stomachs full, all while chasing an elusive version of the American dream.

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Mark Olsen

Los Angeles Times

Ruizpalacios creates a visual style that continues to reinvent itself right up to the end, crafting an unpredictable feeling that matches the volatile plotting.

Nov 1, 2024

Full Review

Beatrice Loayza

New York Times

Imagine such pressure — and, for many undocumented workers, the knowledge that you won’t be hired anywhere better. But Ruizpalacios diminishes these hard truths with flashy bids at profundity.

Oct 29, 2024

Full Review

Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

“La Cocina” is a phenomenal showcase for Briones, who gives one of the most mesmerizingly multi-faceted performances of the year.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 25, 2024

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Anne Brodie

What She Said

Takes its chances at 139 minutes, every second a high pitch besides which it’s stagey and stilted at times and in sum, utterly exhausting. But it spotlights the plight of undocumented immigrants trying to make a wage, avoid capture and deportation

Rated: 2/4

Dec 6, 2024

Full Review

Liam Lacey

Original Cin

Mexican director Alonso Ruizpalacios updates Arnold Wesker’s 1957 play, The Kitchen to a contemporary New York restaurant in a drama that’s as thematically blunt as it is exhilaratingly theatrical in its critique of contemporary America.

Rated: A-minus

Dec 4, 2024

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

In this bleak film, reality is a bad meal to swallow.

Rated: C+

Dec 4, 2024

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Evan C

#LaCocina, a visually stylish peak behind the curtain of a busy NYC restaurant, is deliciously frenetic during its service, but really shines in its quiet, vulnerable in-between moments. A stronger character focus would have been welcomed, but it's a captivating film nonetheless.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/13/24

Full Review

Eye C

Una película muy pretenciosa, larga y sin una historia interesante, que además deja a los mexicanos muy mal parados en ese pequeño universo de inmigrantes dentro de las cocinas de los restaurantes gringos.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/19/24

Full Review

Alejandro E

Siguiendo los pasos del cine indie, la historia nos permite conocer lo que ocurre tras bambalinas en un restaurante, con todo y el estrés que implica ese ambiente, con cierto sabor realista y, de paso, nos muestra la incómoda situación de los inmigrantes. Una de las mejores apuestas del año.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/14/24

Full Review

Bernardo D

This thing it’s a fucking masterpiece, and if you don’t feel the same I’m really sorry

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/13/24

Full Review

Roy J

Good movie, but 30mins too long. Rooney Mara's subplot was totally unnecessary when compared to the overall immigrant theme.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/03/24

Full Review

Rolando R

A very intense movie with incredible cinematography and acting. The kitchen scenes are definitely like “The Bear” on steroids. Yes, cutting it back 20 minutes might have made it even better, but what do you cut? I left thinking “This isn’t a movie, it’s a work of art”.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/03/24

Full Review

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Alonso Ruizpalacios

Director

Raúl Briones

Pedro

Rooney Mara

Julia

Anna Diaz

Estela

Motell Gyn Foster

Nonzo

Laura Gómez

Laura

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La Cocina: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

La Cocina captures the frenetic energy of the lunch rush at The Grill, a bustling restaurant in Manhattan's Times Square. When money goes missing from the till, suspicion falls on Pedro (Raúl Briones), an undocumented cook who dreams of a better life and is in love with Julia (Rooney Mara), an American waitress who cannot commit to a relationship. Rashid, the restaurant owner, has promised to help Pedro obtain legal status, but a shocking revelation about Julia compels Pedro to spiral into an act that threatens to shut down one of the city's busiest kitchens once and for all. The film is a comic and tragic tribute to the invisible people who keep our restaurants running and our stomachs full, all while chasing an elusive version of the American dream.

Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios
Producer: Gerardo Gatica González, Lauren Mann, Ivan Orlic, Ramiro Ruiz
Screenwriter: Alonso Ruizpalacios
Distributor: WILLA
Production Co: Panorama Global, Astrakan Film AB, Filmadora, Fifth Season, Seine Pictures
Rating: R (Graphic Nudity|Sexual Content|Pervasive Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 2024, Limited
Runtime: 2h 19m