Chef's Special

Maxi is a chef in Madrid's Chueca neighbourhood, gay, ambitious, and close to finally getting his restaurant the recognition he wants. Then his two children from a marriage he had long ago, back before he came out, suddenly turn up at his door and need him to be their father. At the same time a handsome Argentine ex-footballer moves in next door, and he is very much in the closet. Maxi's life, which ran like a well-organised kitchen, is suddenly chaos.

Nacho G. Velilla made this as a fast, colourful Spanish comedy, and it works because of Javier Cámara, one of the best actors in Spain, who makes Maxi hysterical, vain, generous and lovable at the same time. Lola Dueñas, as his business partner and best friend, is a joy. The restaurant scenes are full of energy, and the jokes come fast.

It is a crowd-pleaser, and it doesn't pretend to be anything else. But underneath the comedy there is a warm story about a man learning to be a father, and about the different ways people hide who they are. It was a big hit in Spain. Light, funny and kind. The kind of film that puts you in a good mood.