Sorry, this movie sucks

Absolutely the worst movie.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I saw "Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?" in its original run in U.S. theaters. I was nine years old, but my mother used to drag me to any movie she wanted to see whether it was "child-friendly" or not. I loved this movie then and have enjoyed every repeat viewing since. It's a stylish, frothy romantic comedy with a little bit of murder mystery (nothing that will tax your brain), sumptuous gourmet meals and elegant locales, and bitingly witty dialogue --mostly from the incredibly funny Robert Morley. The film revolves around two ex-spouses: world-renowed pastry chef Natasha (Bisset) and crass, wealthy fast food tycoon Robby (Segal), who re-unite to try to solve the caper when top chefs are knocked off around the capitals of Europe. They travel from London to Venice to Paris and back again, encountering an array of melodramatic, egotistical and hilarious chefs along the way, played by well-known European character actors (Philippe Noiret, Jean-Pierre Cassel, etc.). Bisset's clothes, designed by Donfeld, don't date very well, but it was the '70s. She's supposed to be quirky. She looks gorgeous nonetheless. The lighting in this film is perfume-ad soft. Some of the scenes where the chefs, especially Bisset, prepare their specialties make you want to jump through the screen. At nine, I never knew food could look like that! This movie is a few decades old, but retains its glamour and wit. Look for a very young Nigel Havers in a minor part early on.

Everything I've read about this movie says someone is bumping off chefs. That's amazing. I must've watched a different movie. I sat through about half an hour of utterly unfunny nonsense and no one got bumped off (although, I wish they had), and finally my wife and I voted to turn it off. So I have to confess that I never got to the part most of the other reviewers evidently found so funny and wonderful. This is a shame, because I've always been a big fan of Robert Morley, so I really had high hopes. But even Robert Morley was boring in the thirty minutes of this movie that I saw. I've never liked George Segal and was hoping he'd be a chef and would get bumped off, but no such luck. And the woman in the bizarre coat, how many animals was she wearing, and why? And what was the point of that girl who put together the bizarre food sculpture? Was she one of the iced (ha ha) chefs? So, with apologies to all of you who absolutely loved this movie, I regret to say it didn't even make a decent appetizer. Not worth the calories. A half-baked mess. A real crock.

This is one of those films that grow on you gradually. In the first 20 minutes or so, it is a straight comedy and it feels rather forced; Robert Morley may be ideally cast as the obese and pompous food critic, but his pomposity comes dangerously close to obnoxiousness. The film starts to get better when the mystery elements are introduced, and the comedy becomes more satirical (the French top chefs welcome their own murders if they will prove that they were the best of their profession!); the offbeat mix of genres ultimately works, perhaps because it IS so offbeat - it pushes you a little out of your comfort zone. George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset share a wonderfully quirky chemistry - neither of them is particularly likable as a character individually, but somehow they make a very likable couple! This is perhaps the first time I've seen the classy Bisset do comedy, and she gives more snap to some of her lines than there is on paper (I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's one of her own favorite performances, because it relies only minimally on her looks). At the end, even Morley's character becomes sort of endearing. Oh, and another great score by Henry - "Pink Panther" - Mancini. *** out of 4.

"Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?" offers up a tasty recipe, combining mystery with laughs. This movie is peppered with colorful characters, such as Max, the snobbish English gourmand magazine editor, Robbie, the brash American fast food magnate, and a host of eccentric chefs. And you also get a feast for the eyes, with colorful views of London, Paris and Venice, and lush images of haute cuisine. This movie is satisfying, and perhaps will leave you hungry for more!