Tavares and Kaluuya have realized a truly compelling and realistic dystopian film that doesn’t ignore our present, with strong performances and savvy world-building.
Pros
- Kane Robinson, powerful lead performances by Jedaiah Bannerman.
- A well-constructed, believably experienced central setting of the film.
- The clear directorial vision of Daniel Kaluuya and Kibwe Tavares.
Disadvantages
- 10 to 15 minutes longer than needed.
- Unfocused final third.
- Uneven pace throughout his second half.
Daniel Kaluuya may never appear on screen Kitchen, but his presence is felt in almost every one of his pictures. The new dystopian sci-fi drama, which Kaluuya co-directed with first-time feature filmmaker Kibwe Tavares, sees the Oscar winner bring to directing the same steady, unwavering style that made a highly respected artist of his generation. Sometimes Kaluuya’s signature immobility is filtered through the eyes of Kitchenartists — namely Kane Robinson and Jedaiah Bannerman. At other times, it can be seen in the purposeful pace of the film’s editing, when shots of the faces and eyes of its actors play for so long that the unspoken emotions from their scenes sometimes overwhelm them.
It’s hard to look away from a drama that manages to hold your attention, even as you feel the story slowly begin to drift away from it in the second half. The film would undoubtedly benefit from a firmer, less indulgent grip. It falls into the same trap as many other actor-directed films, which is that it falls so in love with its characters that it loses sight of the bigger picture, but also mines more than a few heartbreaking moments out of it. your own mess. In terms of directorial debuts, it heralds Kaluuya and Tavares as two filmmakers with a clear grasp of character and emotion, if not necessarily narrative structure or dynamics.
Its futuristic skyline seems so complex and crowded, Kitchen takes place in a near-future version of London, which unfortunately isn’t hard to imagine. Set in a period when nearly all of the city’s residential properties have been bought up by private corporations, the film follows Izi (Robinson), a quiet recluse who lives in London’s only remaining social housing block, known locally and by its residents as “The Kitchen.” On unlike many of his housemates, who find emotional solace and joy in their tight-knit community, Izi is desperate to get out of the kitchen and move into a higher-rise apartment, with just 21 days left when the film opens.
His plans are turned upside down when he one day crosses paths with Benji (Bannerman), a young man grieving the death of his mother, who happens to be a woman of unknown significance from Izia’s past. Following Izi back to the kitchen one night, Benji quickly finds himself torn between gangs rebelling against authority in the community – one of which is led by the watchful Staples (Hope Ikpoku Jnr) – and the often cold, yet protective society. Izi, who he suspects might be his long-estranged father. In turn, Izi is forced to choose between his dream of getting out of the kitchen and making the sacrifices necessary to provide for the little boy who has suddenly entered his life.
As a social sci-fi thriller about the ever-increasing pressure placed on low-income families around the world, Kitchen is not as focused as he should be. Together, Kaluuya, Tavares, and Joe Murtagh, who co-wrote the screenplay with Kaluuya, believably transformed the film’s central apartment block into a populated, complex human community. The kitchen itself brims with a sense of hard-won communal pride, from the neon-lit street markets dotted around it to the dance parties that fill its halls and common areas on weekends. The film’s titular community is enlivened throughout the film by the omnipresent voice of Lord Kitchener (a scene-stealing Ian Wright), a radio DJ who has made it his mission to lift the spirits of the Kitcheners and fill their lives. with music.
However, as vividly rendered as its central setting, Kitchen does not give himself the opportunity to fully express his ideas about the threat – and the necessity – of social housing projects. In its second half, the film successfully tries to divide its attention between the ever-tightening police grip on the Kitchen’s residents and Benji and Izi’s turbulent but increasingly strong relationship. As a drama about a man trying to overcome his antisocial tendencies and make room for others in his life, it ultimately works better than a hard-hitting social thriller. This is due in no small part to the strength of Robinson and Bannerman’s performances as Izi and Benji.
Robinson, probably better known by his stage name “Kano” to music fans, has very few acting credits to his name, but he makes a surprising impression. Kitchen. He takes what could easily be a straightforward, familiar estranged father figure and turns Izi into a man convincingly consumed by his own pity and self-conscious sense of alienation. None of this is exaggerating the biggest emotional beats, many of which take place on his face, choosing to allow Izi’s unspoken feelings of guilt and loneliness to emerge through his unblinking moments of silence and the occasional crack in his voice. Bannerman, meanwhile, shines as Benji, whose vulnerability and clear desire to connect make him a fascinating counterpoint to Robinson’s Iza.
The kitchen overstays its welcome by about 10 to 15 minutes, but it’s a testament to the strength of the film’s lead acting that it never becomes uninteresting or boring. It could have been pulled off and it’s easy to watch the film and wish he had done more with the supporting characters he places around Izi and Benji. However, the film never loses sight of the characters at the center of its story, and the compassion it has for them keeps it afloat. It’s a sci-fi movie with a soul — one that shines even in the moments when KitchenThe pacing comes to a frustrating halt, and its hold on many ideas seems tenuous at best.
Kitchen premieres Friday, January 19 on Netflix.