Nigel Slater is an English chef and writer who had an unhappy childhood for many reasons — his beloved Mum died after a lingering illness when he was young; he and Dad didn't get along very well; he hated his step-Mum and he was concerned about his sexuality.
That's enough to write a book about after you've grown up and become successful, and calling it "Toast," is a slap at, or a salute to, Mum, who apparently could cook nothing else.
The movie, which opens today, is surprisingly flat, though the food-preparation scenes are good and there's a striking performance by Helena Bonham Carter as Mrs. Potter, a been-there, done-that woman who sets her cap for Dad, played with proper stuffiness by Ken Stott. As a pudgy, chain-smoking, bright blonde who does housework in heels, Carter is a joy to watch as she battles Slater for pre-eminence in the house. Slater is played by Oscar Kennedy as a nine-year-old and by Freddie Highmore as a grown-up. Slater himself does some of the voice-over narration, as does Kennedy.
Mum is an invalid, and she has absolutely no talent in the kitchen. Many meals arrive in obvious disarray, looking as if everything either was overcooked or undercooked, and the usual result befits the title.
Shortly after Mum dies, and Dad and Nigel mourn, Mrs. Potter shows up to clean the house. Cleaning extends to cooking and baking, and the toaster is banished. Dad begins to show some interest in the brash blonde, and Nigel is in turmoil, especially after he learns that he can cook, too.
If, as the Duke of Wellington said, "Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton," here's a battle on the playing fields of eatin'.
Toast opens today at the Plaza Frontenac
— Joe