Chinese Takeaway is one such specimen.
Director: Sebastian Borensztein
Cast: Ricardo Darin, Muriel Santa Ana, Ignacio Huang, Enric Cambray, Ivan Romanelli
Rating: (M)
4 starts (out of 5)
The easiest way to describe this curious Argentinian film is to liken it to a Kurt Vonnegut novel, filtered through the lens of globalisation, and fronted by Paul Giamatti's Latin cousin. Ricardo Darin (The Secrets In Their Eyes) is Roberto, possibly the finest screen shopkeeper since Albert Arkwright hung up his apron.
Harnessing all of Basil Fawlty's customer-service acumen and some, Roberto skulks about Buenos Aires haunted by the ghosts of his parents and trapped in the rigidness of his self-imposed routines.
Far too set in his miserly existence to even register the amorous advances of Mari (Muriel Santa Ana), an admirer, Roberto has his world shaken up when he witnesses a young Chinese man being turfed out of a taxi.
Possessing not a word of Spanish, Jun (Ignacio Huang) has only the clothes on his back and a tattooed address on his forearm.
Now, if you had to pick a Good Samaritan, Roberto wouldn't be an obvious choice. Jun unfortunately doesn't have options, so he tags along with the curmudgeonly loner in the hope that they can track down his uncle. What ensues is a delightful exchange of culture and humanity, spliced together with plenty of refreshingly politically incorrect anecdotes from Roberto.
Best thing: Ricardo Darin's deadpan brilliance.
Worst thing: Not understanding Jun's manic mutterings (unless, of course, you speak Mandarin).
See it with: Peking duck.
- By Mark Orton
