Soul Kitchen 2009

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Mr. Akin's vision of interconnectedness in the global village, while similar to that of a movie like Babel, is more casual and lighthearted. Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Bumping well after midnight, the joint becomes an emblem for the liberated film itself. Read more

Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: You could call Soul Kitchen a romance with sensational music, or a hymn to friendship with romantic resonances. Whatever you want to call it, the thing is bursting with life. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: The slapsticky tone of Akin's latest work is more anarchic than heavenly, but the picture has its screwball charms. Read more

Scott Tobias, AV Club: The filmic equivalent of a big, shaggy bearded collie, eager for people to scruff its floppy ears. And a little slobbering aside, it's just as irresistible. Read more

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: Soul Kitchen is a ragged -- all right, sloppy -- group comedy that taxes neither us nor its maker. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: Akin perfectly captures the antic pace, eccentric personalities, and fickle fortunes of the restaurant game, and his vision of the Soul Kitchen as an all-night bacchanal is irresistible. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Soul Kitchen, which features a soundtrack laden with American soul and R&B standards, was a hit in Europe, and I suspect many American moviegoers will respond to it as well. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: A pleasant enough piffle. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: A lively, easygoing farce filled with high-energy music and amusing complications. Read more

Anthony Lane, New Yorker: Not to warm to this movie would be churlish, and foodies will drool on demand; I recommend the shoal of silvery fish, spitting in a wide pan and awaiting its rain of lemon. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Soul Kitchen isn't, like Akin's earlier films, a full feast, rich with carefully catered courses of philosophy, cultural conflict and melodrama. It's really more akin to a light snack. But take a bite. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: There are moments of fun (an aphrodisiac-laced dessert, for example), but generally the humor seems warmed-over. Read more

Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: Zany screwball farce. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The film is tiresome not merely because of the familiarity of the material, but because there's little verve surrounding the proceedings. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: It's silly, but it feels pretty good. Read more

Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle: A loose, generally good-natured comedy with screwball overtones. Read more

Dana Stevens, Slate: Soul Kitchen is sprawling, undisciplined, raucous, occasionally crass-and so full of life you forgive it everything. Read more

Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Akin's earlier films were dramas, and he hasn't remade himself as a master of comedy, but even when the gags fall flat the vibe is agreeable. Read more

Jennie Punter, Globe and Mail: A treat for the senses. Read more

Derek Elley, Variety: Nicely cast ensembler, centered on a hopelessly disorganized eatery owner and peopled by a weird collection of lovable eccentrics, is pacey entertainment that hardly puts a foot wrong. Read more

Nicolas Rapold, Village Voice: Since the filmmaker's main agenda here is to keep things bumping along, the fraught situations are happily played and funk-scored as crowd-pleasing rather than issue-stroking. Read more

Stephanie Merry, Washington Post: Watching the German dramedy feels like sinking your teeth into a piece of angel food cake only to find you've bitten down on nothing at all. Read more