GamerTab That was an excellent one.

GarnettTeenage The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

K night I thought this movie was reasonable... it tries really hard to come off as convincing that an impoverished transient born in the most godforsaken land in Brazil could become a master chef at a luxury restaurant.. it's obviously possible, even more when that's what the script says happens. Anyway... the 2 story lines show our man Nonato in jail for an unknown crime and his induction into the world of food. In the process, he falls in love with a prostitute, believing she is pure of heart... Now, we are expected to believe that his murderous rages are unleashed by alcohol, which would lead to assume that he operates at an inhibited level routinely. This is hard to swallow.. he is the most naive and submissive person possible, what the hell is there to be inhibited... Anyway, that's beside the point, everyone has primitive urges that can be released by a diversity of triggers. This is compounded by the idea that he develops (SPOILLLERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR) a plan to poison the alpha male in prison in order to get the top bunk-bed, and does so without the social lubricant. I don't know.. it's a semi-entertaining movie... but still... It also tries to show a symbolic meaning in how he butchered the hooker at the end. Watch it if you can do so for free.

Claudio Carvalho The naive immigrant from the Northeast Raimundo Nonato (João Miguel) has just arrived in São Paulo and is hungry and without money. After eating in a smalltime restaurant, the owner Zulmiro (Zeca Cenovicz) offers him to clean the kitchen to pay the bill. On the next morning, he offers a job to Nonato, cooking and cleaning the kitchen; in return, he would eat and sleep in a small storage room, but without salary. The restaurant becomes a sensation with Nonato's appetizers "coxinha" and "pastel" and attracts the attention of Giovanni (Carlo Briani), the owner of the classy Italian restaurant Boccaccio, who offers a better job for him in the kitchen of his restaurant and teaches him the secrets of a good meal. Meanwhile, Nonato falls in love for the always hungry fat streetwalker Íria (Fabiula Nascimento), who refuses to kiss Nonato in the mouth, but has all sort of sex with him. Nonato proposes her and near to the day of their engaging party, he has a great deception that leads him to a tragedy.Raimundo Nonato a.k.a. "Alecrim" arrives in prison and shares a cell with seven prisoners leaded by Bujiú (Babu Santana). When the despised Nonato offers to improve their food cooking in the cell, he climbs in the inner hierarchy, sleeping no longer on the floor, but in the bunk bed immediately below Bujiú and earning respect from the other inmates.Food and cooking is the theme of many successful movies, like for example, Marco Ferreri's "La Grande Bouffe" (1973), Gabriel Axel's "Babettes Gæstebud" (1987), Peter Greenaway's "The Cook the Thief His Wife & Her Lover" (1989), Tony Chan's "Combination Platter" (1993), Fina Torres'"Woman on Top" (2000) and Scott Hicks' "No Reservations" (2007), just to mention a few movies. There are countless good movies and series about relationship and hierarchy in prison, and "Prison Break" is probably one of the most recently famous. Therefore the theme of "Estômago" is not original but is commercial since viewers usually like it; further most of the characters are clichés. However "Estômago" is literally a delightful movie, supported by the great acting of João Miguel that is the reason why this movie works. The two parallel stories have the intention to hide the chronology and unfold only in the very end what had happened first, but unfortunately it fails and the only remaining question is why Nonato ended in jail. In accordance with the summary on the DVD, the conclusion is that in life there are those who devour and those who are devoured, but Raimundo Nonato finds an alternative way of life cooking. Two days ago, "Estômago" had fourteen nominations and was awarded by the Academia Brasileira de Cinema ("Brazilian Academy of Cinema") in the categories of best Brazilian movie of the year, best director and best supporting actor and was elected best movie by popular vote. On 28 April 2009, I watched this movie again. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Estômago" ("Stomach")

fuufuu-1 A poor Brazilian guy (cliché) from the northeast(cliché) comes to southeast (cliché) to get something and be someone(cliché). He is so silly that does dumb things and get in trouble (cliché). Its a great movie (wow, not a cliché).I'm not complaining. The movie is really really fun. Its well written and you get into the story and the main character. I've just forgot about all the clichés and watched until I discovered why he was arrest (as you know in the first second of the movie).The only thumb down is about the others characters. Seems like they've put all the efforts on the main and forgot about make them look real or possible.

Welington Santos I saw the movie at the ninth edition of the Rio International Film Festival. Estômago, a Gastronomic Story, wins four awards at Latin America's largest movie showcase. It's about Nonato (João Miguel), who immigrant from the northeast to the south of Brazil and becomes a talented cook. He uses his talent to get a better life and to get the attention of a a voracious and beautiful prostitute Iri (Fabiola Nascimento) The official jury gave "Estomago" a special jury prize as well as awards for best director and best actor (Joao Miguel). The Brazil-Italy co-production also took home the audience award. "Estomago" centers on a talented cook who aims to use his culinary skills to gain power and love.