2024-01-10 09:45:33
On May 7, 1945, Stockholm celebrated the surrender of Germany but, in the staid restaurant run for several decades by the Löwander family, the atmosphere was not one of jubilation. Customers are rare and some show their sympathy with the Nazi regime. With the war, the establishment’s debts soared and, among the Löwander siblings, opinions differ on how to redress the situation.
Nina and Peter want to modernize the place to attract new customers, but Gustaf, the eldest placed at the head of the restaurant by matriarch Helga, refuses any change and gets involved in a lucrative ration coupon trade. In the kitchen, tensions arise between the chef, guardian of tradition, and a scullion with innovative ideas.
A broad historical fresco
In the wake of Downton Abbey (but without achieving the perfection of its model) or Berlin 56, The Restaurant observes, through the thwarted destinies of its multiple characters, the changes in society and the emerging conflict between the old sclerotic world and the new one, eager for freedom and fantasy. Sibling rivalry, romantic impulses and intimate dramas nourish the intrigue of this broad historical fresco (32 one-hour episodes!), with strong melodramatic overtones. If the production is classic and the pace a little lazy, the reconstruction is careful and the actors convincing.
Over the course of four seasons which cover the Trente Glorieuses until the dawn of the 1970s, the different social strata are scrutinized: from high society to the small restaurant staff, like the young Maggan, waitress and single mother, who launched into the union fight and fell in love with a colleague, at a time when homosexuality was still poorly perceived. Another touching character, a French woman who survived concentration camps, allows us to delicately address the question of latent anti-Semitism and resilience.
#Restaurant #Arte #romance #family #drama #postwar #Sweden