Diana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy is an up close and personal cinematic exploration of Mexican cuisine, geography and culture, marvelously rooted in a biographical portrait of a woman who some have nicknamed the “Mick Jagger of Mexico,” as well as the “Indiana Jones of Mexican food.”
A documentary about tradition and the true roots of humanity’s survival, the film is a fascinating history lesson led by a British woman flourishing in her ninth decade, managing to maintain an insatiable appetite for experience and knowledge. Kennedy is nomadic and still quite peppery and zesty, consistently having no qualms expressing her deepest opinions and philosophies.
Elizabeth Carroll’s biodoc differs from most traditional examples of the genre thanks to its uncanny integration of different worlds, including the old and new, the Mexican and the English, as well as the grounded and the spontaneously adventurous.
People and cultures are researched, explored and celebrated in colorful lights and angles, and as glimpses of the Mexican jungle are viewed from Kennedy’s home, Nothing Fancy poignantly addresses ecological concerns that affect the entire planet, rounding out its portrayal of life, love and passion.
Available to rent starting May 22 via grailmoviehouse.com
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