***Spoilers ahead***
‘Mam’ is a triumph in its own beautiful, charming, and simplistic way. In this documentary-style fiction film, we watch a young man struggling in the New York iron jungle to build his life as we slowly learn that his real dream is to own a restaurant, where he can bring his Vietnamese culinary passion into the hearts of many. Fortuitously, he meets a young lady from Vietnam (Nhung Dao) and the two begin to collaborate on making that dream a reality.
Before SXSW26 officially kicked off, the publicist for the movie invited me to watch a screener, and I’m really glad that I did because I went into this having only read the brief synopsis (I despise trailers), and I was pleasantly thrilled by this film from start to finish. Expectations exceeded.
Having the screener link also enabled me to invite my Vietnamese friend Ann along to enjoy the movie with me in the comfort of my own home where we could view the film free of crowds or expenses. My friend immensely appreciated the fact that this movie dove into her culture, and since we are both foodies, it felt like a great idea.
The film is extremely sweet and Feel-Good. As an audience member, I became heavily engrossed in the two lead characters, especially the protagonist Chef Gerald, a young Texan Chef who received his culinary training in Vietnam.
There is a considerable amount of sympathy that I felt for him and really wanted him to succeed. You can’t help but feel for the guy. New York is a crazy jungle and extremely brutal. It will chew you up and spit you back out, and having personally walked those very streets many times and hearing from many of my friends who have lived or currently live there, I really felt I could relate to Chef Gerald’s turmoil and ambition. Seeing him hustle the way he does, and then getting disappointed is just heartbreaking. Gerald’s performance takes the audience along with him through every emotion with expert effect.
During acts one and two, we watch Chef Gerald try to survive basically meal-to-meal, day-to-day, without affording rent, and ergo sleeping in his car every day. Act three is where the audience and the protagonist get their reward… And a massive reward it is:
I had no idea that the actors were actually playing themselves the entire time and that the restaurant is real. You can go to ‘Mam’ in New York today at 70 Forsyth St and eat the food that they make in the movie. You can feel his flavors, textures, and taste profiles in real life.
This fantastic reveal drastically heightened the enjoyment of the film and brings an explosion of originality and meaning to the whole endeavor. It is no longer just a fiction story about a man’s struggle in the streets of brutal New York… but a true story on how a real restaurant came to be. In this way, the film is at best a heartfelt lesson about never giving up, and in the very least an incredible marketing publicity stunt to drive immense foot traffic into the restaurant.
I’m grateful for the magic of SXSW, wherein on Day 4 the publicist via email also invited myself and my Vietnamese friend to attend the film party after the premiere screening… Therein we were able to meet Chef Gerald, his amazing Vietnamese partner Nhung Dao, and try their food because he cooked a little dish at the dinner for everybody to taste his flavors.
What a special way to celebrate the movie by being able to thank the talent and director Nan Feix to their faces for their incredible film. I was elated to hear that Chef Gerald is opening a bakery in New York as well… and rest assured the next time I am in New York (End of May) I will be heading to Chinatown to dine at ‘Mam’ for real.
Congratulations on a triumphant film and the very best of luck to Chef Gerald, Nhung Dao, and the producer Marine Garnier for the creation of this epic journey in culinary and filmmaking splendor.