Casting McCarthy and Haddish, both great actors, against type and telling the story of mob wives who run things when their husbands go to jail should have been a great movie. Exploring the way domestic violence and gender/race politics played a hand in organized crime in the 70s should have breathed depth into a stylish crime movie. But none of this happens.
The Kitchen feels paint by numbers. This happens then this happens then this happens. Characters walk into rooms, explain what they are feeling instead of showing us. The plot/motivations/details are all handed to us on a silver platter as if we aren't smart enough to understand so we have to have it all explained to us. We never get to feel the scenes as they never have a chance to breathe. The film never feels organic or authentic. During the film I was trying to guess if there was a longer, more fleshed out movie in here which was slashed to pieces or if this is all we would have gotten. Whatever the reason The Kitchen is anemic and oversimplified.
Most disappointing are the performances. McCarthy and Haddish have both been better. Great character actors like Margo Martindale are wasted. The thing that made me so sad while watching The Kitchen was how much potential there was and how much of it was wasted. Plots are introduced, resolved, and dropped quickly and expediently so you almost never have a chance to get involved. Characters are thin and shallow so its hard to become attached. It feels like it was all there but just not put together.
As The Kitchen skipped its way to its rather unsatisfying conclusion I wished I had seen a different movie, one which explored the issues brought up here with some finesse and insight, one that gave this remarkable cast something more to do, and one that would have kept me on the edge of my seat.
The Kitchen
Starring: Melissa McCarthy, Tiffany Haddish, Elizabeth Moss, Domhnall Gleeson, Common, Margo Martindale, Brian D'arcy James
Writer/Director: Andrea Berloff
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