Spain must be crawling with Pedro AlmodĂ"var wannabes.One of them, Nacho G. Velilla, strikes out with Chef's Special ( Fuera de carta ) . Trying for an AlmodĂ"var vibe and featuring several veterans of his films, it mixes ( too little ) over-the-top comedy with ( too much ) over-the-top melodrama.
Maxi ( Javier Cámara ) runs a small restaurant that's more posh than popular. He dreams of a good Michelin rating and drives his staff crazy when he thinks they have an inspector in the house.
Two things happen to rearrange—or at least confuse—Maxi's priorities. He begins an affair with Horacio ( BenjamĂn Vicuña ) , a closeted former soccer star from Argentina, who retired because of an injury.
At the same time Maxi inherits two kids—his own—when their mother, Maxi's ex-wife, dies.
Alba ( Alejandra Lorenzo ) is six and innocent but Edu ( Junio Valverde ) is 15 and homophobic. He knows why his parents split up and hates his father for it. Having a futbol hero in the family helps soften him to start the bonding process, but of course various crises—some Michelin-related—get in the way.
Maxi lives with Alex ( Lola Dueñas ) , his maitre d' and the requisite spitfire for the genre. Before Horacio declares himself she thinks she has a better chance than Maxi of scoring with him.
The biggest problem with Chef's Special is that Alex should have a better chance, especially in a country where bisexuality is common. Maxi is not only physically unattractive but has an unpleasant personality and a temperament that makes him difficult to live or work with.
Even if the course of love doesn't always run smoother than the course of fatherhood, there's no question that things will work themselves out and there will be one big happy family when Chef's Special ends.
For the metaphor-challenged, the movie includes three scenes of people hiding in literal closets.
Chef's Special may leave you feeling good but that's not the same as being satisfied.
