Abe is another dramedy and coming-of-age film that we lost the opportunity to watch in the theatres because of the pandemic. However, we save money and can watch from the comfort of our houses through Netflix. The journey of Abe (Noah Schnapp), a gastrophile 12-year-old boy, who is half Palestinian-Muslim, half Israeli-Jewish, and American by birth aspiring to be a chef. He reviews and registers his gastronomic adventures on social media.
Its cinematography may trick the audience when it suggests its main theme is food. It goes beyond that given that the story is set in Brooklyn; the most multicultural neighbourhood of New York. Not for nothing, Abe’s extended family is a clear example of that; people that came from two countries and distinctive religions, which are in conflict for many years.
In the film, countless moments represent this; however, I will highlight the one involving fava beans and falafel, which brings Abe’s discovery of the acarajé. Definitely, the aim of this similarity is not to point at, instead to indicate the connection beyond barriers. At this moment in the movie, the protagonist meets the Brazilian chef, Chico Catuaba (Seu Jorge), whose cooking motto is “mixing flavours to bring people together”, and he mixes food from his hometown with Jamaican flavours. Both characters are connected through the passion for food and cookery and the same method of cooking (food fusion). Abe is about this mixture of flavours, literally and metaphorically, through Abe’s family conflict and his friendship with Chico.
Even though the film tries to agglutinate multiple identities in two characters, Abe and Chico, and uses the cliché, food bringing people together. It has the differential in comparison to the mainstream, humanizing non-Christian traditions instead of villainizing, it brings an uncommon perspective from Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Muslim communities, and even shows the amalgamation of them and American tradition like Thanksgiving. Although the story is set in the Big Apple and focus on food, the film is an open letter to the Brazilian culture, through shots indicating its rich gastronomy, vibrant film colourization, and always followed by a traditional soundtrack and rhythm from the country.
Might the film does not have a cinematic quality; however, it does have a powerful message dedicated to the young generation, as the film dialogues with them through social media references and language, and the connection between the protagonist’s events and the virtual world. However, the movie’s aftertaste, like Masala, is aimed to engage broadly. Abe teaches the spectators that even with different panelinhas, there is still an ability to cook a delicious meal. It is up to cook to manage the six-burner stove, always using different spices and understanding the temperatures. In the end, there will be a perfect equilibrium, everything matched, and therefore a balanced flavour to the ones who will eat it.
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