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      The Kitchen Toto

      PG-13 1987 1 hr. 35 min. Drama List
      Reviews 56% Fewer than 50 Ratings Audience Score In 1950s Kenya, a preacher (Nathan Dambuza Mdledle) speaks out against the Mau Mau terrorists and is killed for it, leaving his young son, Mwangi (Edwin Mahinda), to fend for himself. Mwangi goes to work in the kitchen of the local British police chief, John Graham (Bob Peck), who welcomes him -- though his wife (Phyllis Logan) and son (Ronald Pirie) treat Mwangi with contempt. Things worsen when the Mau Mau intercede in his life again, this time demanding that Mwangi ally himself with them. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Laurie S I married a Kenyan, a Luo, whose late husband was a Kikuyu, the biggest and most corrupt tribe who formed the Mau Mau movement. Every election year the Kikuyu cheat on the vote count to remain in power, hence 'the troubles when the Luos had an uprising and Kofi Annan, ashamed at the UN messing up the Rwanda civil war wanted to make amends and bring about peace. Luckily his intervention succeeded and the Kenyan civil war ended without further bloodshed. Coincidentally, our last born is also called Mwangi. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review Audience Member Directed and written by Harry Hook, who also made the 1990 Lord of the Flies, The Kitchen Toto is about Jonathan Graham, a regional police officer in the British colony of Kenya dealing with the uprising of the Kikuyu tribe. When they kill a black priest who's condemned them, he takes in the man's young son Mwangi (Edwin Mahinda) as his houseboy. Or kitchen toto, which is where this gets its name from. Mwangi is trapped between two worlds, the independence his country needs so badly and the British who have treated him so well. Well, except for John's son Edward, who uses him for target practice with his air rifle. When the Kikuyu tribe tries to recruit the servants to push out the English rulers, our protagonist has a life choice to make. Look, not every Cannon movie is ninjas and explosions. Sometimes, they're stiff upper lip explorations of the United Kingdom's past. But yes, they really should all be ninjas and explosions. This was the last film of Edward Judd, who was in The Day the Earth Caught Fire, Because of the Cats and The Vault of Horror. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member It's not a failure, it's just not enough. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Kitchen Toto

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      Critics Reviews

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      Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette Rated: 3/5 Oct 1, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis In 1950s Kenya, a preacher (Nathan Dambuza Mdledle) speaks out against the Mau Mau terrorists and is killed for it, leaving his young son, Mwangi (Edwin Mahinda), to fend for himself. Mwangi goes to work in the kitchen of the local British police chief, John Graham (Bob Peck), who welcomes him -- though his wife (Phyllis Logan) and son (Ronald Pirie) treat Mwangi with contempt. Things worsen when the Mau Mau intercede in his life again, this time demanding that Mwangi ally himself with them.
      Director
      Harry Hook
      Rating
      PG-13
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $15.5K