When Crenn arrived on “The Menu” set near Savannah, Georgia, she also guided the actors on how to authentically portray a fine dining kitchen staff.
She explained to Fiennes that, as the executive chef, he must be “the conductor of the symphony,” she told SFGATE. “You have to own your confidence and to understand that you have a team around you that you need to lift up, not bring down.” In his performance as Chef Slowik, Fiennes embodies the conductor of a symphony in the eeriest way possible — as a cult leader whose obedient disciples meet his increasingly violent demands with a resounding chorus of “yes, Chef.” With a single clap, the whole room is under his control.Courtesy Of Searchlight PicturesFrom the moment she first read the script, Crenn said she related to the character of the disillusioned star chef, despite her comparative lack of bloodthirst.
“When you get into that situation and position, there's so much pressure on you,” Crenn said. “We are artists, and every day, we try to create something that we really feel. And then suddenly, when you get to a certain level of artistry, then you have the noises from the outside, from the blogger or the influencer … the entitlement to tell you that what you do is not good.”
As Slowik’s contempt for the critics and wealthy bozos who populate his dining room becomes more and more apparent, the film’s message crystallizes. As a chef, he first entered the restaurant industry because he enjoyed serving people. But now, at the high price point and level of success he’s achieved, he can no longer enjoy satisfying diners. These entitled fools fail to appreciate his art.