Three Stars (2010/First Run DVD)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Documentary: B
In a
continuing cycle of special interest documentary food titles we have seen
lately (especially from First Run), Lutz Hachmeister’s Three Stars (2010) is another winner, looking at ten great chefs
all over the world, the food they make, the innovative and/or instinctual ways
they create and another twist in this case, how the Michelin tire company puts
together its internationally popular, well known, highly used and powerful
dining books where everyone wishes they would get a three star rating since it
can financially make or break the fortunes and reputations of these
hard-working foodmakers.
Thanks to
the 2008 financial crisis, the company discontinued their Austria and Las Vegas
books (get them while you can), but we learn some of what makes the books tick,
while learning about what makes the cooks tick and it shows all around how
serious this gets just so people can find great food by trusting these annual volumes
that people of great financial means, food fans and anyone serious about the
food industry as the book tends to be more on the money than not to most of its
readers.
Just
getting one star helps, but three is always nice and with all the mechanicals
and personalities aside, we ultimately see a worldwide love of great food that
a given food network cannot begin to convey.
This runs 94 solid minutes and could have gone on longer as far as I was
concerned.
Nice to
see something where so many people seriously, sincerely care about what they
do.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is pretty much all newly shot digital
video (HD we gather) that looks good, if not always perfect, but has its
moments as we see the various people, restaurants and locales all over the
world this documentary takes us. The
lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is also fine with a good mix of music and
location recording with few flaws.
Extras include
Chef Biography text, text About The Filmmakers and Culinary Film Gallery where
we get descriptions and trailers of several related First Run releases frame by
frame, including many we have already covered on the site.
- Nicholas Sheffo
