Movie Review: 'Steak (R)evolution'
By Bill Wine
KYW Newsradio 1060
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Where's the beef?
Why, it's right up there on the movie screen.
So, if you're a reluctant or involuntary vegetarian or vegan, maybe you ought to look away.
Because, otherwise, you just might find yourself staring at the ultimate "meat-cute" footage on the big screen.
It's there throughout Steak (R)evolution, a comprehensive, scrumptious-looking French documentary in the farm-to-table philosophical vein about the search for the world's best steak.
Debuting director Frank Ribiere, answering the question of "to beef or not to beef," moves from country to country so that the film never feels stationary or sedentary, and is an experienced producer who also co-wrote the script with Verane Frediani.
Of course, his fascination with the subject matter – to say nothing of his family of cattle breeders -- is so evident that his film often feels as if it's about to turn into a self-indulgent Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Steak (But Were Afraid to Ask).
That said, there's also a good deal of fascinating insights and explanations for anyone hungry for them and willing to be patient when the film, perhaps appropriately but somewhat frustratingly, adopts a cow's pace.
Ribiere uses as his anchoring interviewee – these are not just talking heads but "eating heads" -- acclaimed butcher Yves-Marie Le Bourdonnec. Together, they undertake an international search for the world's absolute healthiest and most delicious steak. And there's even time for Ribiere to suggest the ten best restaurants as well, although the list is presented in a random order that results in throwing the ranking away.
On their journey, they interview other butchers, chefs, cattle breeders, restaurateurs, and meat experts, and investigate just how red meat can be rendered tasty.
And comparisons are made about the practices and preferences and predilections regarding cows, beef, and steak -- how "they're" raised, how "it's" cooked, and how "it's" served and consumed – in various nations, including the United States, Japan, Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Sweden, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France.
Under discussion, in addition to the abiding gustatory question of what makes a great or proper steak, are sustainable farming practices, scaled-down cattle farms, and other changes in the contemporary beef industry.
This is infotainment or edutainment, to be sure, which means foodies may well eat it up while others find it too technically detailed and repetitive to make it to the entrée.
So we'll broil 2½ stars out of 4 out of 4 for the enlightening, mouth-watering doc, Steak (R)evolution. Just don't, if you're a carnivore, make the "mis-steak" of seeing it on any empty stomach.
