Kareemah Mullen

Though I enjoyed the movie, upon reflection, understanding a prime motivation was exposing the banker's past, the question for me was why go to so much risk and difficulty, harming (though not killing), traumatizing many people, etc. with a fake heist. I would say the character was not developed enough to have me believe in the plot. So, it unraveled for me when I understood he was more a good guy that a bad guy, but without clearly understanding how he was going to make use of the document he stole. And, as others have pointed out, how did he know about the safe deposit box, and its specific contents? What was his relationship with the banker that allowed him that knowledge? And Foster's character was not part of his plan, though she brought about a very difficult connection to the banker with aligning his money and bank with one of her deals. So, what was Russell's plan for exposing the banker? Yeah. A bank heist that was a risky cover for a simple theft, with implied but unknown plan for the revenge. Lots left out.

There obviously are many messages in the film, given the many comments. However, for me the pivotal message was ‘love.’ The main man chef clearly says that love has nothing to do with it. And ultimately, he fails. He has no family, apparently no friends, pushes until retaliation nearly kills him, and his last lesson he has to give her is to have people hunger after you, personally. That, apparently, is his goal, having control over those he despises, or resents, which has left him in a very dark place, and dark things come to him. But the girl is looking for the right way to serve her skills, and keeps turning away from that which turns her away, back to family, home, love, and good universal values. There may be a disparity in economics and class, but that pales in comparison to the message that speaks to love and a poverty of love. Food filled with love, and eaten with contentment, with gratitude, will not be seen by those who cannot see it. Who really are the poor, and who are really the rich? I thought it was a beautiful message given in a brilliant, evocative way, even against violent images at times.