The Kitchen is an impressive debut from Kaluuya and Tavares, a vibrant and considered near-future dystopian thriller that sees a sprawling run-down mega-estate in London - the final social housing area - increasingly under attack for re-development, focusing on resident Isaac who is about to move out to a more plush Buena Vida residence and his developing relationship with young newly-orphaned Benji who he meets at work (a high-tech eco-funeral service). The many layers of the film are interesting, as both Isaac and Benji wrestle with their past, present and future, the presentation giving it a very fluid, almost-dream-like quality through use of camera and largely subdued emotions that belie what the characters are actually going through. Kano/Kane Robinson delivers a genuinely sincere and honest performance as Isaac, together with an impressively assured screen debut from Jedaiah Bannerman as Benji and noteworthy support from Ian Wright as the community radio presenter. Almost feeling like two films in one, even if the bigger-picture social settings might not always feel fully drawn, the undeniable heart of this movie and its central relationship is affecting and powerful.
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