Mistura review – ice queen brings Peruvian culinary drama to a gentle simmer

Bárbara Mori leads a lukewarm story about a wealthy socialite who starts a home-based restaurant after her spouse abandons her.

One might anticipate a film centered on an upscale dining establishment to deliver considerable intensity: the simmering pressure of staff driven to their limits while chasing culinary perfection. Yet this Peruvian drama set in the 1960s opts for a subdued, refined calmness. Perhaps it’s overly refined, considering the background of its chef-owner—a high-society trophy wife lacking any culinary background who takes a significant risk by trying to launch a successful eatery.

Bárbara Mori portrays Norma, an icy beauty who adopts a Jackie Onassis-inspired style: oversized sunglasses, voluminous blow-dried hair, and heavy makeup applied like protective armor. One evening, Norma’s husband humiliates her by leaving for a beauty queen. Sympathy would be warranted if Norma weren’t so cruel to her staff, lashing out at housekeeper Rosa (Hermelinda Luján) and chauffeur Oscar (Cesar Ballumbrosio). It’s Oscar (who harbors some affection for Norma) who proposes she open a restaurant in their home to cover the mortgage. Norma’s father served as the French ambassador to Peru, and she inherited his enthusiasm for food. However, the script shows some inconsistency on this point, as Oscar also remarks that he’s never even seen her turn on the oven.