Chef's Special (Fuera de carta)

Maxi is a chef with stress management issues. Intent on earning his restaurant a much-revered Michelin star, he runs his kitchen with panic-stricken fervor. That is until one day Maxi's regimented world is turned upside down when he has to take in his estranged kids. Less than pleased with these new additions to his life (as is his teenage son who is unable to deal with his father's homosexuality), Maxi's situation only gets worse when a handsome footballer named Horacio moves in across the hall. Velilla's delicious Spanish farce is overflowing with wit and vivacity. As the highly-strung Maxi, Javier Cámara gives a masterfiul comic performance, supported confidently by the rest of the cast, particularly Lola Dueñas (seen in Almodóvar's Volver) as Maxi's emotionally unstable friend Alex. Already a huge box office smash in Spain, Chef's Special looks set to delight audiences here.
Michael Blyth