Amuse Bouche – Dorcel – Director – Ricky Greenwood – Cast – Lumi Ray, Alexis Tae, Katrina Colt, Rara Knupps, Derrick Pierce, Nathan Bronson, Hollywood Cash.
***** 5 stars
Okay, you see the word “Amuse” and maybe think this is a comedy right? It is actually French for the word appetizer. An “amuse bouche” is a hand picked appetizer by the head chef of the restaurant that is given free of charge to diners prior to their main course. So, now you know that this finely tuned feature will take us into the culinary world with a very dramatic story that brings some unexpected twists and turns and stand out performances by the cast. With multi award winning director Ricky Greenwood at the helm and filmed in both the U.S. and Paris this is a film that will hold you captive start to finish.
You’ve heard the old saying “life imitates art”. That couldn’t be more true here because the female star of this film, Lumi Ray, spent seven years as a chef before leaving it for a career in adult films.
The story revolves around Lumi who is in Paris studying to be a world class chef. Things are going well when she receives a call from her father to return home to help run the family restaurant after the death of her mother. This sudden change will bring about many other changes and challenges to Lumi’s life and career in this plot driven, well constructed storyline.
It opens with some fantastic video shots of Paris and L.A. before getting into the story which opens with Lumi and her roommate Alexis Tae, who seems more interested in herself than her friends dreams and pursuits. They are about to get intimate when Lumi gets a call to meet a celebrity chef (Derrick Pierce) who could a huge help to her career. Alexis isn’t happy about it and pouts. Lumi meets the chef and right off you can tell he is a self centered, demanding kind of person but Lumi deals with it and really knows what he wants. Back at her place she and Alexis get into the girl/girl play that got interrupted and it is one hell of a steamy scene. Next morning she gets a call from her father (Tommy Pistol) about her mother’s passing and needs her to come home and help run the family restaurant. Goodbye Paris, hello California.
Her dad is not in great shape emotionally and the bills have piled up causing Lumi to wonder what comes next. Then she is confronted with the head cook at the restaurant Nathan Bronson. They have known each other since they were younger. Times change and now he is a very cocky, conceited party animal kind of guy. His cooking skills and the way he does things leave a lot to be desired, like sex in the kitchen after hours with his waitress girlfriend Katrina Colt. Then there is line cook Hollywood Cash who has sex in the back of the kitchen with the hostess Rara Knupps. Lumi is disgusted how things are run and tries to make changes with him and the menu but he just doesn’t like her interfering with how he does things. Little by little these two begin working together coming up with new menu items and having a better relationship at least on the surface. Things really take a change when the celebrity chef from Paris arrives and wants to see Lumi and do a segment of his TV show from her restaurant. She meets with him and of course they have a sexual romp that is very intense and very one sided because he only thinks of himself not Lumi and after he gets his rocks off she just sort of laughs about it.
At the restaurant they are ready for the TV show segment to be shot and our celebrity chef is just a plain all out bitch to everyone. He demands they follow the menu he wanted not the one Lumi and Nathan decided on. There is a confrontation and one thing leads to another before Nathan takes the food and pushes it right in the chef’s face. Needless to say he is humiliated and walks out with his smiling crew leaving behind him. Then comes a scene where Lumi makes something very special for her dad and this becomes a very emotional, tearful, get the Kleenex moment with dad breaking down, then leaving the restaurant. From that comes the perfect ending as Lumi and Nathan realize they belong together and can make the restaurant a success and have each other as well. Fade to black.
Ricky Greenwood’s directorial style has pacing that allows the character to develop and his use of the facial closeup where looks and expressions tell the story as well as dialogue. The settings were exceptionally will done with a real restaurant, kitchen and all the surroundings. Lest we not forget real cooking and real food also. As for the casting it was perfect. Lumi being a former chef was in her element and also showed she is a solid and believable actress and a star. Nathan Bronson was excellent in probably the best role I have seen him do and Derrick Pierce played his despicable character in great fashion. Then there is Tommy Pistol who, to me, is one of the top 5 actors in adult of all time. There is not a role he cannot do in convincing fashion and here he scored gold as Lumi’s dad. The supporting cast did a nice job in their roles as well. Then the added cameos of Christy Canyon , Kylie Ireland and Casey Calvert were pure genius for this film. I could still go on, but you get the idea. Do not miss “Amuse Bouche” from Dorcel. It is a treat you will fall in love with.
ADDED NOTE: Lumi Ray is also our AAN “Girl of the Week” this week. Check out: https://aan.xxx/girl-of-the-week-lumi-ray-2/
Art Koch, National Features & DVD Editor, NightMoves Magazine and AAN
