I"m sure some people will scream and yell that "this isn't how it is in a real kitchen!" — to which I say, go work in one and see how well you fare. This is one of those films where it's not the destination (We know where it's going soon enough), but the journey... which is handled quietly and with understatement. I've never thought of Cooper a dramatic actor, but he handles himself well in this. It's not an Oscar performance, but the material doesn't demand one — rather, it asks for everyone to underplay to the point of appearing bland... and yet none of them are. The handling of the maitre d' subplot was quite lovely, by the way. Like so much in this movie, you didn't need everything plastered onto the screen in 10-foot-high letters. You just had to sit back, think a bit, and appreciate.
Kudos to all involved.
Kudos to all involved.