Beautifully shot, very slow paced. It's quite quaint. It certainly doesn't feel like a movie.. It has more of a feeling of a Pixar short (have nothing else to compare it to, but gets the point across).

The central character with which all other threads connect, is more of a shadow in the background. And while I get the point of him in the "story" (much like food I guess, something that is so fundamental but rarely noticed),I felt he was a little weak in his life-supporting role. The meat of the movie is scarce-but-heartwarming-drama. It's enjoyable if you are tired of big blockbusters. Someone else here used the word "gentle", and I completely agree.

Haven't seen anything about the original it is based on. But a larger presentation, richer in detail, would definitely benefit it.

Having seen all of the Japanese original that I loved, I watched this out of interest. And... it's OK. Like the American office is also ok, but not as good as the British one, it depends whether you want some more of what you enjoyed. This movie mixes and intertwines stories already done in the Japanese, with a bit of extra too. Not a spoiler, this one explains how the chef got his facial scar, only hinted at in 50 episodes and movie in the other. What makes all the Midnight Diner so strangely compelling is that like the master chef, you do come to care about these very ordinary people and their stories.

This to me was a pleasure to watch, i think the reviews don't do justice to this in particular. To me this was very refreshing even if the stereotype says these type of food movies are dumb, this one is not. There are welcoming vibes in the movies all over the place.