The subject of food and cooking is a theme in my life as of late. There’s a sense of disconnect between the two in our current popular culture. And, as they say, we are what we eat. So the idea of me being a fast food chicken finger gives me pause.
All preachings set aside, we may can find common ground in the fact that good, healthy food prepared in a good, healthier manner should (in best case scenarios) beget good, healthy individuals. This seems to be the theme of “How to Cook Your Life.”
The following is a description directly from Netflix where I viewed this “DVD” with their Watch Instantly feature:
How to Cook Your Life (Wie man sein Leben kocht), 2007, PG-13, 93 minutes
German filmmaker Doris Dörrie documents a summer in the life of renowned Zen practitioner and cook Edward Espe Brown as he teaches culinary classes in Zen centers in Austria and California, revealing the role food plays in our bodies and spirits. Informative, provocative and funny, Brown serves up a unique combination of inspiring wisdom and kitchen skills that will raise even the most demanding foodie to new spiritual and gastronomic heights.
Click here to see trailer on YouTube.
What I liked:
The filmmaker was able to mirror the calm, Zen nature of the subject with the production. The locations and scenery was beautiful. Also, there was nice insight shared by Brown about life and food and cooking and how it all blends together. Regardless of whether one is Buddhist or not (which I am not), one can admire the careful, thoughtful manner in which this man and others like him execute their craft. These principles may carry over into each person’s work and work habits.
There was also a part where Brown discusses “sincerity” with his students. Before that moment, Brown had a bit of an arrogant air about him (which, he doesn’t seem to deny). When he talks about the sincerity of the humble teapot, there’s a sincerity in him as well. Think what you may about the guy but he does seem to connect with his cooking at his heart.
What I did not like:
It was almost as if all the cooking was left at appetizer level. We got to see some prep work and a little of the eating but there was no little to no attention to taste of the final product. I would have enjoyed hearing more from the people regarding their own experiences. It felt, at times, like the attention was too much on Brown and not on the people he was affecting. It showed him getting frustrated by “things” (people) and the filmmaker may have actually reduced the people to things by portraying them as extras of sorts.
Overall review:
Though trite, the westernized-culture-is-evil ideas still resonate like a bell. And, while a bit disjointed at times, the production as a whole gets its point across. I could have done without the influx of his religious views but I also understand that those views are near and dear to him as mine are to me. If that is a “deal breaker” in terms of viewing for potential viewers, so be it. Anyone out there who has strong spiritual convictions finds it hard to not infuse them with every aspect of their being. That’s not a bad thing, but rather, it is good. In the end, we all can benefit from a calm, peaceful, respectful relationship between us and our food.
Rating: Three out of five.
