ABSTRACT
Mike Leigh’s 1991 film Life is Sweet depicts a restaurateur called Aubrey, nervously awaiting the opening of his bistro, the Regret Rien. In an attempt to impress a waitress with his savoir-faire, Aubrey runs through his first night menu, an offal-rich list that includes hors d’oeuvres of tripe soufflé and saveloy on a bed of lychees. The waitress reacts with horror (‘Oh, not brains!’) and Aubrey’s prospective clientele agree: no one shows up for the opening.
