In recent times, Irish cinema has been dipping its toe into some new genres, and some with more confidence and originality than others. The Food Guide To Love is Ireland taking a swipe at the international romantic comedy, the likes of which we’re used to seeing Richard Linklater or Woody Allen taking on lately. However, while the movie has confidence to spare, there’s not a single moment of originality to be found, and for a romantic comedy, it’s oddly lacking in any kind of romance or laughs.
Oliver (Richard Coyle) is a famous TV chef who has just been dumped for not being much of a sharer. Oliver loves food, you see. LOVES it. Loves it so much that he can’t imagine sharing it with anyone else. While strolling about the city, he crosses paths with Bibiana (Leonor Watling), a passionate Spanish woman who he promptly falls in love with, but will he love her the way he loves food? Probably.
In fairness to the directors, they make Dublin look pretty fantastic, but it’s also evident that they had a severely generic story, got an Irish writer in to make some Dublin specific jokes, and tacked on the city as a background. They try to use Dublin as third character in the film, but with no knowledge of the city itself – Oliver and Bibiana are having a conversation in Grand Canal Quay, make a left turn, and are suddenly in Smithfield, about three miles away – it really hits home that the directors were more concerned about how things looked they how they felt.
Oliver and Bibiana have something of a tumultuous relationship, attempting to be a Battle Of The Sexes, but they both just inhabit the worst character traits assigned to either gender. He’s a hyper-masculine douchebag who wants to control everything, and she’s a bipolar lunatic who will just as soon kiss you as threaten to cut your mickey off.
Simon Delaney and Bronagh Gallagher pop up in amusing supporting roles, and the central relationship isn’t entirely devoid of enjoyable moments, but it’s all just so very 'meh'. The Food Guide To Love seems to have aimed for mediocrity right from the get go, and yet still failed to reach that low target.
