My Review of Toast (2010)

 

Written by Lee Hall

Directed by S.J. Clarkson

Nigel: "It's impossible not to love someone who makes toast for you."

As someone with a moderate interest for cooking shows, I was intrigued to learn that Nigel Slater had an autobiography that was the subject of a BBC TV movie over a decade ago. Naturally I had to check it out.

The movie opened during Nigel's (Oscar Kennedy) childhood. He had an interesting one, bonding with mother (Victoria Hamilton) over food and clashing with his father (Ken Stott) over food and just about everything else. Those two definitely didn't get along with one another.

As the movie got to it's halfway point, Nigel's mother died of debilitating asthma and things between Nigel and his father only worsened with the arrival of common cleaner Joan Potter (Helena Bonham Carter). Needless to say, if Nigel had issues with his father, he absolutely hated the ground that Joan walked on.

The rivalry between Nigel and Joan was definitely spurred on by food. It hadn't taken Joan that long to go from family cleaner to Nigel's stepmother and two of them weaponised food in order to get the father on their side. On this particular note, I ended up having sympathy for the father.

With a teenage Nigel (Freddie Highmore) coming into his own as a would be chef and dessert maker, Joan knew exactly what he was trying to do and kept countering him at every turn. Who would've though a lemon meringue pie could be used in a very petty battle of upmanship but it wasas both Nigel and Joan refused to give in to each other.

Of course when Nigel wasn't trying to oust his stepmother, he did manage to get a job in a local pub and a kiss from the owner's son, Stuart (Ben Aldridge). Throughout the movie, there was hints of Nigel's sexuality with his very brief infatuation with Stuart being more of an aside to this story. There was also a childhood crush on a gardener named Josh (Matthew McNulty).

By the end of the movie, Nigel's father had died and he had lost his last shred of patience with Joan. I have to admit to feeling a bit bad for Joan but at the same time, it did make sense for Nigel to get away from her and make his own way as a chef. 

- The title came from his 2003 autobiography and the fact that often his family had toast as a backup when dinners would be burned.

- Nigel Slater himself made a cameo towards the end of the movie as a chef.

- Standout music: Dusty Springfield's He's Got Something, Little By Little and I'll Try Anything To Get You.

- Chronology: 1960s and 1970s Wolverhampton and Herefordshire as well as London for the last few scenes.

Toast was a simple title for a simply delightful movie. There were times when it did seem like Nigel was too harsh with his father and stepmother but the exploration into his love of good and developing his culinary skills was very well done.

Rating: 8 out of 10