A few salient aspects can usually identify a mainstream Canadian comedy. It is nearly always about some sort of culture clash; that clash is rarely violent; the clash is excessively polite; and in the end everyone is safe and happy. Cooking With Stella, the first feature film by Dilip Mehta (brother of Deepa Mehta, who served as co-writer) does not go too far outside of the canon. It is a nice, safe comedy with some genuine laughs and plot twists; but mostly it is a wonderful tribute to Indian cuisine.
Stella is a cook at the Canadian High Commission compound in New Delhi. She is used to running things while the housewife gets her nails done; Stella is able to use this distraction to pad bills for her own benefit (for which success she prays to the Virgin Mary). But the new couple who arrive are something different: the wife (Lisa Ray) is the diplomat, and the husband (Don McKellar in one of the few roles that see him play an average person) stays at home with the baby. And more than that, he’s a professional chef who engages Stella to be his guru of Indian food.
Mehta may have spent a lot of time working with and observing his sister, but that has not translated into anything new or inventive. The scenes in the kitchen between Stella (played wonderfully by Seema Biswas) and the husband Michael are funny and often touching, but it’s not enough to sustain the film. The dialogue sounds stilted and unnatural, and some of the plot twists take the characters too far. The ending also wraps up a little too neatly. But, again, this is safe Canadian comedy; we wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, would we?
British director Michael J Bassett brings to the screen Solomon Kane, the graphic novel penned by Robert E Howard (who also created Conan the Barbarian) with all due seriousness and gravity, as apparently befits the character. I have not read the books, so this was my first exposure. And while certainly not a perfect film, it has a great story, great action and a great leading man (James Purefoy, best known as Marc Antony in Rome).
The screenplay is an interpretation of the origins of Solomon Kane, apparently culled from the various novels. Kane was quite the badass, far worse than the devil himself. Or so he thinks – an encounter with an agent of said devil leaves Kane scrambling to try and redeem his soul. But sometimes peace requires a sword, and when an innocent family is attacked, Kane takes up said sword to rid the land of evil sorcerers.
Solomon Kane looks closely at the real-life dichotomy between Christians and Pagans. Both occupy this world, and while Kane claims to be Christian, the use of mirrors throughout the film suggests that these religions are really the same from a different perspective (not a bad suggestion at all).
In fact, in his introduction to the world premiere, Bassett emphasized his desire to make a more serious-minded fantasy film than had been seen in the past. Certainly in the 1980s dozens of fantasy films were made that are looked back on as campy but were not necessarily seen that way at the time. This film is definitely serious; I don’t remember laughing at all, but instead had my fists clenched for most of it. I’ll admit it –
I do love a good swordfight.
But serious issue aside, the fights and effects are brilliant, particularly the kidnapping mirrors in the opening sequence and the giant demon of fire near the end. The film perhaps needed a bit more script work, with a few more laughs thrown in. But overall it’s a tremendous effort by a still young director, and has opened the door to some very good potential sequels.
