First Hit: An overall satisfying film which is about listening to oneself.
I was surprised at the engagement I had with this film. Although Samir’s (played by Aasif Mandvi) relationship with his family was typically and culturally based, the rest of the film was engaging.
Samir is a sous chef with a fancy New York restaurant with hopes of being a chef at a new offshoot of his current restaurant. However when his current chef and manager tells him he doesn’t carry the soul or drive to be a chef, he quits.
Samir makes plans to go to Paris and work for top chefs so that he can become better. But his father, who owns a rundown Indian restaurant, has a heart attack and he decides to stay home and help. Taking over his father's restaurant is a nightmare for him and he ultimately fires the cook and then hires a taxi driver named Akbar (played by Naseeruddin Shah) to be the cook.
Akbar told Samir that he once cooked for Indira Gandhi. Akbar cooks with his head, heart and stomach. He doesn’t use recipes to create his meals he uses his understanding of taste. As he cooks great food for the restaurant, the word starts to get out and it becomes more popular.
Samir is slowly learning from his friend Akbar on the ways of cooking Indian food and in a moment he is left to be the chef of his father's restaurant. Joining him is an assistant from his old job. Carrie (played by Jess Weixler) meets up with him and after they have a few dates they begin to grow something together.
At the end of the film Samir is learning his profession from his heat, heart and stomach and and learning about love of a woman and his family.
Mandvi is believable as a cook who cooks by cookbooks and not his heart. As he begins to turn his thought process around you can really sense this in the way he changes his character. Shah is outstanding as the guy to has tried everything and know what life is really all about. He is a patient teacher and a lover of life which he shares in his fortune cookie philosophy. Weixler is wonderful as the love and life interest. The film is rounded out by numerous other characters which are fun and add to the flavor of this film. Mandvi co-wrote this with Jonathan Bines and their script was crisp and to the point. David Kaplan directed this little independent film clearly and with the love of life it needed.
Overall: This was a wonderful little film which tells a nice story.