GRAND MAISON PARIS Reviewed by GREG KING
Director: Ayuko Tsukahara
Stars: Takuya Kimura, Kyoka Suzuki, Ok Taec-yeon, Yuta Tamamori, Kanichiro, Ayako Yoshitani, Anne Nakamura, Patrick Descamps, Yannick Renier, Ai Tominaga, Yoshinori Masakado, Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Ikki Sawamura.
Reality tv cooking shows and dramas such as The Bear have made kitchens, chefs and food preparation both exciting and sexy, and this new melodrama will certainly appeal to fans of the subgenre of “food porn”. Grand Maison Paris, a French/Japanese coproduction, is much more accessible than the recent La Cochina, which was set in an upmarket restaurant in New York, but it also explored more contemporary themes of immigrants and exploitation as well as tensions amongst the volatile mix of kitchen hands.
Grand Maison Paris is set in an upmarket restaurant in Paris. Having relocated to Paris from his native Tokyo, volatile head chef Obana (Takuya Kimura) is desperate to earn a coveted third Michelin star for his restaurant. But in a city with such a rich gastronomic history this is not going to be easy. He faces prejudice from many of the established restauranteurs and traditionalists.
But Obana is also very demanding, unwilling to make sacrifices for the sake of his cuisine and he alienates many of his staff. Obana is unsure if his cuisine should be entirely French, or if he should include dishes from his native Japan or even use dishes that reflect the multicultural traditions of his staff. His loyal sous chef Rinko (Kyoka Suzuki) was once able to detect the different flavours of the spices and herbs he used, but she lost her sense of smell due to COVID. After a heated argument with Obana she quits.
His pasty Cook Rick Yuan (played by Ok Taec-yeon, a member of Korean boy band 2PM) owes money to some gangsters who threaten both him and Obana. And Blancan (Patrick Descamps), the owner of the restaurant, is threatening to evict Obana and give the restaurant to his own son Pascal (Yannick Renier) to run. And Obana’s former lover, noted critic and influence Linda (Ai Tominaga) delivers particularly scathing reviews of his latest choice of cuisine. With pressure mounting Obana has to find a way to bring his team together and create a sumptuous menu to impress the Michelin judges.
Grand Maison Paris is a spin off from the popular 2019 Japanese tv series Grand Maison Tokyo. Series writer Tsutomu Kuroiwa has returned to script this feature length spin off and has crammed several subplots into the melodrama. Kuroiwa also gives the film a darker tone than the tv series which inspired it. The film explores themes of ambition and second chances. Many of the original cast have returned for the film reprising their roles – including Kimuru as driven head chef Obana, and Suzuki as Rinko. Also returning are Yuta Tamamori, Kanichiro, Ayako Yoshitani and Anne Nakamura.
Director Ayuko Tsukahara (Last Mile, etc) juggles the many subplots effectively and increases the tension. The many cooking scenes were overseen by legendary chef Kei Kobayashi, who gives audiences some wonderful concoctions to savour. The film has been shot on location in Paris and cinematographer Naoki Sakakibora (Two Mothers, etc) has done a good job with the visuals. The music score comes from Hideakira Kimura, who also composed the music for the tv series.
Grand Maison Paris is a film that will appeal to foodies and lovers of the tv series The Bear.
★★★
