- Directed by Allison Hebble & Zed B. Starkovich
- Chianti Pictures LLC
- DVD and Blu-ray™ by Anthem Pictures
- 2007
- 1 hour 27 minutes
- English
A Slice of Life
Three women in their 30s struggle with love and life, all while cooking and eating in various kitchens in an apartment complex that resembles a Tuscan villa.
Somewhere in Hollywood, these women are cooking (or not) and discussing their (and others’) relationships. Lily (Christina Hendricks), a vivacious redhead, is an aspiring writer; Shelly (Leisha Hailey) is a pregnant wife with a dull husband and raging hormones; Jude (Rachel Hunter), is a fabulous cook and very sensible lesbian.
Shelly whines to Jude throughout the film about her current unpleasant situation - being pregnant and feeling unattractive. Hailey’s wholesome looks are played to advantage as a plain Jane mother-to-be. Hunter’s natural beauty shines in a pair of worn jeans and sneakers. Partially covered by an apron, her tanned cleavage tumbles out of a v-neck T-shirt as she quite deftly dishes up practical advice to Hailey’s Shelly while cooking a sumptuous meal for her lover, who she knows is cheating.
Whining and Dining
Joaquim de Almeida and Christina Hendricks in La Cucina
Courtesy of Kahn Media StrategiesWhining and Dining Downstairs, Lily flirts, playfully spars and sips two bottles of wine together with Michael (Joaquim de Almeida), a dashing photo-journalist 17 years her senior she’s been dating for less than two weeks. Michael shows her how to make a Caprese salad from scratch while they discuss what they want and don’t want from a relationship. de Almeida steals those scenes with his realistic philosophy about love and man-of-the-world presence.
Sexy and (Pre)sumptuous
Hunter is the very attractive and intelligent rock of this female family. However, I wasn’t sure whether Hailey’s Shelly was flirting, being coy or just plain naive when she was lauding Jude’s “perfect relationship” and lesbians in general as being more satisfied and having easier partnerships, particularly with the back-story of Jude’s cheating lover.
Delicious
La Cucina DVD Cover
My Rating: 4 stars. The scenery is pleasant Italian, Cali style, the food is (mostly) divine, and the wine flows along with three women’s (and one man’s) feelings. “La Cucina” made me want to grab a bottle of Chianti and start cooking!
