NOMA MY PERFECT STORM (Pierre Deschamps). 100 minutes. Opens December 18. For venues and times, see movies .nowtoronto.com. Rating: NN
Foodies will be intrigued by this insider look at Noma, the Copenhagen restaurant regularly named best in the world.
The resto’s unique approach, governed by chef René Redzepi, involves stubbornly hunting for ingredients, from rose petals to ants, strictly from the Nordic region, despite the limited options that climate imposes. According to Redzepi – who has a practised savvy with words – food tells a story, chefs create the language, the ingredients are the alphabet, and a dish lets you know where it comes from.
The hotshot chef is his own best marketer, and everyone around him (including director Pierre Deschamps) is happy to oblige. Early on, a talking head claims that Redzepi is “not cooking supper any more he’s changing the world.”
The moment you hear that, you know what’s on this film’s menu.
We hear about the chef’s genius and watch him manage the restaurant through catastrophe and success. Most scenes feel stagey, with Redzepi feigning intimacy but sounding like he’s auditioning to be the next Gordon Ramsay.
