Rating: 
Summary: Not bad.....
Review: Four way look of how different cultures approach Thanksgiving in America is well addressed in this movie, It's also somewhat refreshing to see Joan Chen in a role with some substance to it, and not in some cliched/dumb action movie that Hollywood seems to think women can only play the love interest with no substance to the scripts.
Rating: 
Summary: A great ensemble cast makes this a delicious feast...
Review: Directed by Gurinder Chadha, this good ensemble piece centers on four Los Angeles families (in various stages of dysfunction) attempting to come together over Thanksgiving dinner. Though the story lines are familiar, the laughter and emotions keep this movie from being a leftover Turkey sandwich.The fantastic ensemble cast includes the always wonderful Alfre Woodard as a woman fighting the stress of maintaining peace in her family. Mercedes Ruehl turns in another good performance as a level-headed matriarch rebounding from a cheating husband. Kyra Sedgwick and Julianna Margulies are delicious as a lesbian couple trying not to spar with one set of parents (enably played by Lainie Kazan and Maury Chakin). Joan Chen is also great playing a tradition-based parent losing a battle against her rebelling teenage kids. Toss in Estelle Harris for extra laughs and wonderful turns from much of the supporting cast, and you can't go wrong. Though the movies' editing is somehwat choppy, it comes together nicely at the end. I'd highly recommend filling your plate with an extra helping of this gem. The enjoyment of laughter, possible tears, and multi-ethnic traditions make this one a winner.
Rating: 
Summary: Exquisite and spicy banquet for the soul
Review: Food and its preparation is one of the things that define us, our culture and how we come together with our families. Writer/Director Gurinder Chadha (who will later write and direct Bend it like Beckham) brings us her first "american" film: an exquisite, sweet and even sexy (while brutally honest) look at contemporary family dynamics in present-day L.A, using food (and surprisingly enough, surfer music) as the thread to sew together the trials and tribulations of four "ethnic" families during a Thanksgiving day. But "What's cooking" is more than "just" a food movie, or a Thanksgiving movie. Through an amazing ensemble cast (including Academy Award winner Mercedes Ruehl), ingenous cinematography, smart direction and an outstanding script, Director Chadra makes us feel the joys and pains of these characters. The story itself is simple: follow the lives of four West L.A. families (Latino, Vietnamese, Black and Jewish) through a Thanksgiving Day. But immediately we get drawn into very powerful statements about love, family, community, divorce, diversity, racism, politics, tolerance and violence. We identify with these characters because we can all relate to their problems, and their family interactions. I highly recommend this film because it is beautifully and skillfully done, and because of the great actor performances, particularly the female leads. Alfre Woodard is exquisite and brutally believable as the wife trying to keep her family together. Joan Chen, Lainie Kazan and of course Mercedes Ruehl all give extraordinary performances as the matriarchs of these families. Julianna Margulies and Kyra Sedgwick are a joy to watch as a lesbian couple. Dennis Haysbert ("24", Far From Heaven) is fabulous also. For all you Seinfeld fans out there, you get a glimpse of Estelle Harris in yet another Estelle Costanza incarnation. With her, the loveable Ralph Manza as uncle David (Gepetto in "The Cigar Store Indian"). DVD extras include interviews (they're interesting, although not well edited; it feels like they were "thrown together" at the last minute,sometimes even cutting off mid-sentence, but the raw material is there), theatrical trailer, recipes, and a commentary track (with Writer/Director Chadha and co-writer and husband Paul Mayeda Berger). As expected, the commentary track gives us an inside look ad the writing, casting, production, cinematography and the filming process in general. Expect bigger and greater things from this power couple.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly Decent - Good for a Rental
Review: For a movie I never heard of(being in the theaters), this was a surprisingly decent movie. The movie basically follows four families (a Hispanic family, Vietnamese family, African-American family and a Jewish family) as they prepare Thanksgiving dinner. Overall, it is a nice family movie despite the obvious dysfunction in each family (which is pretty realistic I suppose). Among the "issues" addressed in this movie: lesbian relationships, marital infidelity, the generation gap between parents and children, single parent homes, and gun violence. The ending of the movie surprisingly ties everything together into a nice bow but you still feel at the end of the movie like, "What a wacky world we live in." Overall, the movie itself is a nice watch, worthy of an afternoon rental viewing. It's definitely not a waste of money. Among the special DVD features in this film are interviews and commentaries from cast and crew members on a WIDE VARIETY OF TOPICS. The interviews are so-so. They're not worth the price of admission, but it's an "okay" bonus. The special feature in the DVD section I really liked were the recipes for some of the delicious dishes served up in some of the families' Thanksgiving dinners. That's a great DVD bonus. Here's my rundown: Great: The recipes in the DVD special features Good: The overall movie itself (storyline, acting, etc). Okay: The DVD bonus interviews, commentaries, etc Bad: The pure dysfunction...but it's unfortunately all too true in our society... Overall, a nice effort for the cast and crew and the DVD makers. Recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie
Review: I really enjoyed this movie. I went to see it in theaters. Hoping to get an okay movie, and leaving instead with the feeling that I had just seen a really great film that most don't know about. I especially liked how they brought all the different cultures together all for a common purpose, Thanksgiving. Sometimes we get so caught up in things, that we forget to see what's really important. That's what this film is about. And it has a good way of showing that.
Rating:
Summary: The Melting Pot
Review: Much like her 2003 hit movie "Bend It Like Beckham", Gurinder Chadha's "What's Cooking?" is infused with people who love one another very much, and so even though some tough issues are thrown their way, we know that, because of that love, they will get through life's obstacles ok. "What's Cooking" centers around four families living on the same block in Los Angeles. They don't know each other, however, and instead, like most modern families, are focused on their own problems and worries. Chadha makes good use of "the American melting pot" idea, as one family is Italian, one is hispanic, one is black, and one is Asian. One of the most wonderful aspects of the movie is that, even though the people are of different ethnicities, they are portrayed respectfully as human beings. We can relate to each of them. They are different, but the same. Isn't that the underlying truth of us all? People are, indeed, people. There are some nice performances here: Alfre Woodard is great as a stressed, neglected wife. Dennis Haysbert is quiet, cool and simmering as her husband. Mercedes Ruehl shines as the mother of the hispanic family, trying to move on with her life from an ex-husband that just won't understand that it's over between them. Kyra Sedgwick and Julianna Margulies are endearing as a lesbian couple on their first trip to meet the parents. Estelle Harris (of "Seinfeld" fame) is deliciously wicked as the aunt who just keeps pushing the issue. And, of course, there's Lainie Kazan -- always a treat. I saw this film at Roger Ebert's Overlooked Film Festival in 2003, and it was very well-received. There are dramatic, serious moments, and then there are quite hilarious moments. The theater was filled with laughter a number of times, and deservedly so. In the end, this is a 'feel-good' film. And one which will also have you salivating throughout, as each family is busy cooking and preparing their Thanksgiving dinners. This is the second Gurinder Chadha movie that I have seen, and from what I have tell, she seems to really believe the best of people. Yes, we fight. Yes, we quarrel. Yes, we disagree. But at the heart of humanity has to be love and understanding, if we are to get along and survive. "What's Cooking" embodies this sentiment wonderfully. It was a joy to watch.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant
Review: Simply one of the best movies I have ever seen. All the actors are great and the story lines intriguing.
Rating: 
Summary: Thanksgiving and the Melting Pot ad nauseum
Review: Sorry to say that I was not able to walk out of this film. It is
disturbing to find that people respond positively to a such an on-slaught of racial stereotypes. While starved for stimulating dialogue, I was force-fed ceaseless gorey close-ups of Food Food Food Food, greasy and ill colored. Ofcourse most of the cast are great actors, but what a sad waste of talent. Last but not least, if you're looking for the usual smidgin of lesbian sexuality - it's barely a crumb.
Rating:
Summary: Ethnic Cliches, Stock Characters, Amateur Cast
Review: The story is boring, plot-development uninteresting and slow, and the overdramatic cast, especially the younger ones that might benefit from a few years' worth of acting lessons, not worth the while. I just couldn't bring myself to care about the families and their corresponding stories. The actresses, particularly, were unconvincing even in depicting cliches. What a waste of a mediocre idea on lack of talent!
Rating:
Summary: Fan-freakin-tastic!!
Review: There are indie films,and then there are stay-with-you always amazing indie films. The cast is only the icing to a tale weaved so subtly the ending would blow you away (well, not to give it away).
Like the culinary theme, which also left me hungry, this is one film which will whet your appetite for the acutely accurate portrayal of the immigrant society in America. I know as an Asian I was stunned by the director's resounding voice in her unflinching representation of that community. And the range of emotions it will evoke will leave you laughing, crying, thinking...just from one scene to another. I also appreciate the really uncheesy, un-gratituous lesbian story-line (but of course a lady director would know better!)
So it's a keeper. Buy it so you can share it with people you love and so you can watch it again.
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