TOAST – The Review

Get ready for an intense food fight with TOAST!

Based on the book by Nigel Slater about his life, TOAST is the story of Nigel (Oscar Kennedy, Freddie Highmore), a young boy with a passion for food. Unfortunately, his mother and father are poor cooks. As his mothers chronic asthma gets worse, so does Nigel’s relationship with his father (Ken Stott). That only deepens when his mother passes and his father starts a relationship with Mrs. Potter (Helena Bonham Carter), a housewife with a dodgy marriage. As their relationship deepens, Nigel turns to food even more. He spends his time in home economics learning to cook, and even takes a job at a local pub. The only problem is that Mrs. Potter, who has now become his step mother, is not going down without a fight, and will not give up her kitchen so easily.

What a fantastic story! There is quite a lot of sentiment in this film. For example, the character of Nigel points out, in the beginning, that toast is the one thing that his mother can cook, and describes biting into a piece and feeling love. The search for love in food is a central theme. Nigel not only loves food, but seeks the love of his father through food, only to be rejected time and time again. Mrs. Potter certainly does not help, pushing Nigel aside so that she may shine in the kitchen. You might want to grab a snack to eat while watching this, because this film has so many delicious looking meals you are bound to get hungry!

The film takes place over the span of several years, so the character of Nigel is played by Oscar Kennedy, and later by Freddie Highmore. Both actors are wonderful in their roles. Kennedy has an intensity about his portrayal of Nigel, while Highmore has a wide eyed fascination as he goes through a period of self discovery. The two actors really mesh well together. Kennedy seems to outshine Highmore just a bit, though Highmore’s portion has much more to do with “coming of age” part. He has to deal with ridicule for taking home economics rather than wood shop, and facing his sexuality. When he finally takes charge of his own life, it’s a very empowering moment, for both Nigel, and the audience.

Helena Bonham Carter can do no wrong, in my eyes. She was absolutely fantastic as Mrs. Potter. It is very clear from their first interaction, that the two disliked each other from the start. Since this story was written by Nigel Slater himself, you can see just how manipulative the character of Mrs. Potter is suppose to be. Her relationship with her husband is not fully explained, but the viewer is led to believe that she is cheating on her husband, and eventually leaves him for Nigel’s father. This is not necessarily a union of love, though. It seems as if Mrs. Potter is “trading up”. Her strategy to win over Nigel’s father, and stay in his good graces seems to be cooking and cleaning, so when Nigel shows promise in the kitchen, Mrs. Potter sees that as a threat. Bonham Carter played the character well. Although her character was not likeable, she was still watchable, being careful not to isolate the audience, which had to be difficult. I mean, Potter showed up as a cleaning lady soon after Nigel’s mother died, and pushed her way into their lives, not giving them a chance to grieve, or to build their relationship. The writing does a good job of showing a couple of vulnerable moments with her character, so she is not too evil. It states at the end that Nigel never saw Mrs. Potter again. I find myself wondering what happened to her, and if she ever realized the effect she had on Nigel?

The film itself has a nostalgic warmth to it. The delicious food, the warm colors, the beautiful countryside… they all combine for an inviting feel, inviting the viewer into Nigel’s memories. It seems that most people have strong memories when it comes to food in their lives, whether it be family dinners, or going to a carnival and having a corn dog for the first time. Food brings people together. That is why this film works so well.

TOAST is not your boring sandwich bread.

OVERALL RATING: 4 out of 5 stars