Soul Kitchen

The best thing about this directors films is that he presents germany as germany really looks and feels like. The heavy handed dramas before this film are really failures in their overwritten scripts but heFinds a perfect balance between the actor contribution and germinating idea of scenes. Only the frank caprasque ending is the wrong part of this film but the film had to end some time

This frothy, light, slightly shapeless but endearing comedy is further proof of the protean nature of Akin's amazing talents.While nowhere near as good as his great, dark comedy-drama `Head On' or his complex. philosophical `The Edge of Heaven', or even his delightful music documentary 'Crossing the Bridge' - all of which are must-sees - I appreciate that Akin seems more interested in exploring different genres and stories than creating a signature style.This is the kind of comedy that makes you smile more than laugh, and is stronger on character and acting than on comic set pieces, but even the jokes that don't work aren't annoying. Its too sweet and full of life to get cranky at.A shaggy, likable young Greek man living in Germany tries to start his own restaurant, juggling his ex-con brother, his out-of town girlfriend, his slightly insane chef, and a rival who wants to take over his space and develop condos. It's not an `important' film, but it captures something wonderful about being young and trying to find your place in the world.

If you're expecting Fatih Akin as the serious master "The Edge of Heaven" and "Head-on", you won't find him here. "Soul Kitchen" is a nifty little comedy, set in a seedy restaurant in the seedy bohemian Wilhemsburg district of Hamburg. Owner Zinos, a young Greek German whose back is out for most of the story and whose girlfriend is off in China, makes junk food that his puffy longtime customers down with beer. Everything changes, though, in the throes of neighborhood gentrification. Everything. Running a restaurant is a thinly-veiled allegory for filmmaking--whether you give people the junk they want, or make fabulous food and find/cultivate an audience to love it. There's a great love of humanity here.

I grew up in Germany for the first few years of my life and have gone back regularly. Its always hard to find a good German film thats not only funny but tells a good story. Soul Kitchen however does just that, it makes me want to cry but laugh the whole way through. This is a must must buy for any film lover of international film or even other Germans out their wanting to see a great film. Think Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares but in a German light comedy.

always enjoyed this movie. didnt mind buying it. (as opposed to being able to rent streaming)

Unfortunately, I can not give a proper unbiased review for this movie. When I watched this movie for the first time three years ago, it triggered something that I, unfortunately, am not able to explain in words. It's become my second favorite movie.

I was expecting better, given the reviews. Very much an auteur, self-absorbed, relatively self-congratulatory slog.

Very cool movie witch combines choas, music, family, dedication to good food and love. Told in front of Hamburg as a great setting.

it's a must for peeps who love food, worked in a restaurant or just love a great movie with contents and humour.

This film arrived in excellent condition but it DOES NOT have English subtitles. My error in not checking but useful to know.

one of his best movies!!

After a long search found it here in the UK and it wasn't too expensive, fabulous. Quirky and fun! Only in german.

It's hard to find much technical info on the different editions of this movie, but I'm pretty sure I have seen some decent screenshots, probably taken from a Blu-Ray edition. This DVD edition (Mongrel) is a single-layer DVD, and it seems compromises were made to have the movie and all the trailers (5 of them, around 10 minutes in total) fit into the disc. The image quality is quite disappointing for a movie from 2009. I watched it in a theater back then, and I can't remember being let down at all. Unfortunately this is the only available edition I could find with English subtitles at a price that is not outrageous.The audio is also stereo only. The German Blu-Ray has a DD5.1 track, and the German DVD apparently does too. I'm not sure if it was mixed like that originally or if it was expanded from a stereo mix just for the DVD/BD releases. But it could have been added to Mongrel's release - if there was a space constraint, a double-layer DVD could do the job, or maybe removing a couple of the trailers (5 is a bit too much, isn't it?).Apart from that, great movie, lots of fun.