Food-driven documentaries have become as abundant in recent years as the number of chic eateries striving to become the next most successful restaurant in New York City. But the history behind the French bistro, Raoul’s, which has garnered acclaim since it opened in Soho in the 1970s, proves that it deserves to be celebrated in the new film, Raoul’s, A New York Story.
Karim Raoul, the son of acclaimed New York restauranteur Serge Raoul, long stated that he was never interested in telling the story of the family’s legendary French bistro on screen. Like his father, Karim initially wished to travel the world as a documentarian, making movies about cultures he had never experienced bore.
But Karim’s life quickly changed when he put aside his own ambitions after his father Serge had a stroke. As a result, Karim helped take over duties at the restaurant that gave the family its livelihood.
As he subsequently began reflecting on the unexpected shift in his career, Karim began to appreciate the new opportunities that were presented to him. So he decided to chronicle the restaurant’s history and lasting impact on his family by directing and producing Raoul’s, A New York Story with fellow documentarian, Greg Olliver.
Raoul’s, A New York Story begins in 1975 in a cozy, unassuming spot on Prince Street in the titular city, where two brothers from Alsace, France opened the small eponymous French bistro. Serge, who was taking a brief hiatus from a filmmaking career, and his brother Guy Raoul, the restaurant’s chef, had a simple, but noble goal: to bring affordable French cooking to New York.
The roots of Raoul’s were humble, but as the restaurant became loved by Soho’s art crowd in the 1970’s and ’80’s, it quickly became one of the city’s most iconic restaurants. It also became the template for a New York-style French bistro that is oft-copied but never truly replicated.
Thomas Keller started his career in the kitchen at Raoul’s before eventually opening another restaurant with Serge. The eateries eventually helped launch the careers of such chefs as Tom Colicchio and Andrew Zimmern.
But Serge’s health began to deteriorate later in his life. As a result, Karim returned home to take the reigns of the family business.
Raoul’s, A New York Story is a visually stunning documentary that thrives on its emotional recollections of the family’s long-lasting legacy in the restaurant – and film – business. Olliver and Karim, who are also credited as the feature’s screenwriters, crafted an engaging outline for the documentary. The movie thrives on not only recounting the restaurant’s historical relevancy and influence, but also on Karim and Serge’s parallel experiences of exploring their sense of purpose.
The film’s editor, Nate Pommer, intriguingly blended archival and contemporary clips, photos and interviews of the Raoul family. The documentary also highlights the family’s interactions with their colleagues, customers and friends, including Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Matthew Broderick, Colicchio, Alison Price Becker and Andrew Zimmern.
The restaurant’s lively history and success are also shown in the movie to be a result of Serge’s desire to welcome free-spirited creatives and artists in the Soho district. The welcoming atmosphere, which includes encouraging patrons to dance on the bar, enhances the project through photos and Super 8 film clips.
The movie’s visuals, including new footage vibrantly captured by cinematographer Matt Irwin, reflects how the restaurant’s continued success was largely driven by the family’s relationships and history. In one sequence, Karim reflects on how his own occasionally fraught relationship with his father drove him to pursue success, no matter what circumstance he was in.
The segment blends voiceover with visual material that reflects how the familial generations contend with their seemingly unfulfilled desires. While the father and son duo have booth contended with their filmmaking careers not following the path they have so long desired to follow, their overall longing to succeed in general led to them both tirelessly working to make the restaurant, such a vital place.
Raoul’s, A New York Story also emotionally incorporates Karim and Serge’s documentary footage when the latter began to film in Bali. The clips chronicled how Serge formed a meaningful friendship with a local that he named his son Karim after him. The moment comes full circle when Serge’s son begins to continuously travel to Bali with a camera, the same way his father did before he had to stop traveling in order to open the restaurant.
Through its visually captivating cinematography and heartfelt, skilled editing of archival videos, photos and interviews, Raoul’s, A New York Story is more than just a portrait of an iconic restaurant. The movie encompasses what it means to be a New York success story, especially as an immigrant family. The new feature overcomes the usual food documentary storytelling techniques to chronicle how Karim followed in his father’s footsteps. The duo prove what it means to be a true success story, as they both found meaning and contentment from pursing their dreams of being filmmakers to becoming accidental restaurateurs.
Raoul’s, A New York Story had its World Premiere in the Spotlight Documentary section on June 10 during the Tribeca Festival.
Overall: B+
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