75
Metascore
13 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 80CineVueAdam LowesCineVueAdam LowesDiana Kennedy: Nothing Fancy is an affectionate and reverential look at a remarkable figure and a testament to her achievements within the Mexican culinary landscape.
- 80The GuardianPeter BradshawThe GuardianPeter BradshawI would have loved to hear Kennedy on the tricky subjects of fusion cuisine or cultural appropriation. But there’s more than enough here to get your teeth into.
- 80The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenThe Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenWithin the culinary world and beyond, the honors and accolades have been plentiful for Kennedy, who's been compared to Julia Child, Mick Jagger and Indiana Jones. Whomever her extraordinary life might bring to mind, this grande dame of gastronomy has lived it on her own terms.
- 80The Irish TimesDonald ClarkeThe Irish TimesDonald ClarkeNothing Fancy is a rare documentary one would wish longer. The contemporary Kennedy is marvellous company: awkward, intelligent, amusing, realistic about mortality.
- 78Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleNot content to explore Kennedy’s work as a historian and cook, Nothing Fancy also explores her efforts as an environmentalist.
- 75Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenIn this time of peril and chaos, Elizabeth Carroll’s documentary is a balm for the soul.
- 75The A.V. ClubRoxana HadadiThe A.V. ClubRoxana HadadiAlthough the documentary is a brisk 74 minutes, filmmaker Elizabeth Carroll seems to so fully capture Kennedy’s unfiltered personality that Nothing Fancy becomes not just a portrayal of a world-famous authority on how various communities within Mexico farm, prepare, and eat their traditional dishes, but also a commentary on how we view or judge places through their food. Kennedy has complaints, and Nothing Fancy lets her air them.
- 60The New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisThe New York TimesJeannette CatsoulisMore curious and combative than the movie around her, Kennedy is as much anthropologist as chef, her deep love for her adopted country palpable.