Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		2.0

The Kitchen Blu-ray Movie Review

I couldn't stand "The Heat" either.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 1, 2019

There's a decent movie to be made of The Kitchen, a well-received eight-issue limited series published by DC/Vertigo in 2015, but this ain't it. Directed by Andrea Berloff (her first time at the helm after writing such films as World Trade Center and Straight Outta Compton), our story follows a trio of mob wives in Hell's Kitchen circa 1978: Kathy Brennan (Melissa McCarthy), Ruby O'Carroll (Tiffany Haddish), and Claire Walsh (Elisabeth Moss). After their husbands Jimmy (Brian d'Arcy James), Kevin (James Badge Dale), and Rob (Jeremy Bobb) are arrested by the FBI during an ill-timed liquor store robbery, the three women are faced with the challenge of fending for themselves, which they enjoy or dread for distinctly different reasons. Ultimately, they decide to assume control of their husbands' mob duties, hoping to improve their community in the process...instead of just collecting protection money and disappearing.

It's admittedly an intriguing set-up, which puts The Kitchen in a unique position to offer an alternate perspective of well-traveled territory. This is something that the Vertigo series did well enough in eight issues...but despite its good intentions, its translation falls apart within the tight boundaries of a 103-minute film. The plot becomes more and more needlessly convoluted as it chugs along, doubling down on half-finished details and dead-end detours instead of tightening up in the home stretch. The exact turning point is when their husbands are granted an early release: you can almost see the story fall apart within a 10-minute window, and it never fully recovers during its remaining lifespan. As such, a few Hail Mary plot twists ring completely hollow because they're not given near enough setup, and the whole production ends with such a flat thud that you're almost guaranteed to do a double-take.

If there's one element that salvages the initial viewing experience, though, it's the outstanding production and costume design by Shane Valentino and Sarah Edwards, respectively. A lot of the film's $38M budget clearly went towards its late 1970s backdrop, which was accomplished by an excellent eye for period-specific NYC signage, everyday minutiae, and of course subtle CGI effects. Though not as wholly convincing as standouts like David Fincher's Zodiac or David O. Russell's American Hustle, there's an obvious authenticity to The Kitchen's atmosphere that at least makes it an interesting place to visit. The percussive score by Bryce Dessner (member of the critically acclaimed American rock band The National) is another standout, which easily supports its more suspenseful and action-filled scenes. Without question, this is a great-looking and sounding film that wasn't visually or sonically thrown together by accident.

Most every other aspect of The Kitchen, however, doesn't fare nearly as well: the plot is critically confusing, the pacing and editing are extremely inconsistent, very few characters are genuinely likable, and its misguided attempts to please everyone will likely turn most audiences off (and they were, judging by the film's lukewarm theatrical reviews and disastrous box office performance). There's a real "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" mentality to the picture; hardly new territory for any book-to-film conversion, but this one feels especially painful because the timing actually felt right for a project like this. Warner Bros.' Blu-ray package, on the other hand, makes the most of its relatively weak main feature with a rock-solid A/V presentation and a few short but decent bonus features.

The Kitchen Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original 2.39:1 aspect ratio (rounded up to 2.40:1 on the back cover), The Kitchen looks extremely good on Blu-ray with a few very small reservations. Shot digitally in 2.8K resolution with a 2K digital intermediate, it feels right at home on Blu-ray with excellent image detail and a pleasing color palette that's very well-saturated. This can be a very dark film at times (visually and thematically) and, while many scenes appear almost ridiculously underlit, Warner Bros.' 1080p transfer handles almost everything the film puts out with ease. Shadow details hold steady, black levels remain uniformly deep, and no obvious compression artifacts or banding get in the way. I did notice a mild amount of aliasing and even moiré patters on some of the more complicated background textures, which would have likely fared better on a 4K disc. But despite a few visual hiccups and my obvious reservations about the film itself, The Kitchen is a largely great-looking film and fans will appreciate how it shines in high definition.

The Kitchen Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio mix is as strong and dynamic as expected for a major studio release in this genre, with rich dynamic range and a very forceful atmosphere that holds plenty of weight. LFE activity is very strong in the front channels, often spilling into the rears during shootouts and other action scenes. The percussive original score by Bryce Dessner (member of the critically acclaimed American rock band The National) often makes use of a similarly strong amount of LFE, which does a pretty decent job of maintaining suspense during critical moments. Dialogue is clean and crisply recorded with no obvious sync issues, mixed well and easily heard amongst all the chaos.

Optional subtitles are included during the film and extras in a variety of languages (including English SDH), and are formatted nicely but placed partially outside the 2.40:1 frame. Not a big deal, unless you own a projector.

The Kitchen Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Kitchen is only available as a separate Blu-ray or DVD -- no combo pack, no 4K option -- and arrives in a standard keepcase with a matching slipcover and Digital Copy redemption code. On-disc extras are as basic as expected.

• Running Hell's Kitchen (9:01) - Director Andrea Berloff, producer Michael DeLuca, comic writer Ollie Masters, comic artist Ming Doyle, all three lead actresses (Melissa McCarthy, Elizabeth Moss, Tiffany Haddish), and others talk about the Vertigo comics, the film's development, mob movies, graphic violence, and working together.

• Taking Over the Neighborhood (5:22) - Several of the same participants discuss shooting in New York City and recreating the film's late-1970s aesthetic, as well as their own experiences living in the city. I'd have loved this featurette to go into more detail -- the production and costume design is one of its strongest elements, so this is enjoyable while it lasts. Unfortunately, there's absolutely no mention of the film's visual effects (likely more of a omission out of budget limitations), which remains the only other disappointment here.

• Deleted Scene (1:25) - A short scene with Ruby O'Carroll and her husband Kevin speaking in a diner after a funeral. It's presented on its own with finished visuals and music (1080p, but only Dolby Digital 2.0).

The Kitchen Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tone-deaf and poorly edited, The Kitchen proves that, under the wrong circumstances, a female-led production can be just as misguided as a male one. It wants so badly to capture the scope and texture of mob dramas like Goodfellas and The Departed but comes off more like a cheap imitator full of half-finished ideas. Although a few of the performances are capable and the production/costume design is first-rate, the film quite simply falls apart in the messy second half and kills any enthusiasm for a second viewing. Although I can't recommend Warner Bros.' Blu-ray to newcomers, those who enjoyed The Kitchen in theaters will enjoy its terrific A/V presentation and brief but appreciated extras.