The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
Today's Special
Comedy · Romance · 2009
Young Manhattan chef Samir rediscovers his heritage and passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food.
Movie details
Today's Special
“Life Has No Recipe”
2009 Comedy · Romance 1h 39m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.2 / 10
Community rating
Young Manhattan chef Samir rediscovers his heritage and passion for life through the enchanting art of cooking Indian food.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over Today's Special?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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The Hot Spot
Romance · 1990
Upon arriving to a small town, a drifter quickly gets into trouble with the local authorities — and the local women — after he robs a bank.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
David Kaplan
Written by
Jonathan Bines · Aasif Mandvi
Aasif Mandvi
Samir
Jess Weixler
Carrie
Naseeruddin Shah
Akbar
Aarti Mann
Henna (as Aarti Majmudar)
Dean Winters
Steve
Kevin Corrigan
Stanton
Ajay Naidu
Munnamia
Court is in session
Put Today's Special on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.