Directed by:
Anh Hung TranScreenplay:
Anh Hung TranCinematography:
Jonathan RicquebourgCast:
Benoît Magimel, Juliette Binoche, Jean-Marc Roulot, Jan Hammenecker, Emmanuel Salinger, Patrick d'Assumçao, Galatéa Bellugi, Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
Peerless cook Eugenie (Juliette Binoche) has worked for the famous gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) for the last 20 years. Bonding over a passion for gastronomy and mutual admiration, their relationship develops into romance and gives rise to delicious dishes that impress even the world's most illustrious chefs. But Eugenie is fond of her freedom and has never wanted to marry Dodin. So, he decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her. (Picturehouse Entertainment)
(more)Reviews (6)
A fragile historical film about the love of food and the love between Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel, who are united by said love of food. Both of them are masterful cooks who are able to talk knowledgeably about food and they devote themselves to the gourmet enjoyment of it. A significant part of the runtime comprises slow, elegant shots of meal preparation, while another significant part consists of shots of people eating – either just the two of them or their guests. The film is set almost entirely in the interiors of a house, is thin in terms of plot and is held together by the subtly portrayed, nobly romantic relationship of the central couple, filled with mutual respect. If you enjoy cooking, baking and elegant French dining, add one or two stars to my rating. [Cannes FF]
()
A wonderful film about cooking from historic France. The story is set in 1870 and the main character, considered the Napoleon of the culinary arts, cooks for his influential friends with Eugenie, who is his cook but also his mistress, but so far refuses to marry. They also have the daughter from a neighbor who has a great talent for discerning flavors. The first hour is a great gastronomic experience, it is a pleasure to know that they really cook with fresh ingredients that they have to grow, pick and possibly hunt themselves. The second half veers into drama and it got a bit ragged for me, but the ending kicks things up again nicely. I also praise the intelligent dialogue and solid acting performances. Taste does rub off with age, requires a good memory. This wine has everything: elegance, nobility and purity. Impressive France. 75%.
()
From the outside, The Taste of Things is practically the pinnacle of a genre that could be called simply “gastro-porn”. At its core, however, it is also a film that touches on so many interesting and thoughtful themes that all the flavours it evokes during the screening will stay with you for some time to come. A sensitively made drama with masterful performances and I wouldn't be surprised if Benoît Magimel wins the César for the third year in a row. [KVIFF 2023]
()
The ultimate food-porn. A supreme tribute to French gastronomy, in which most of the characters are hedonists and gourmets, top chefs and experts in the areas of food, animals and nature. They’re also great conversationalists, so they also talk about food and its origins and history in an exquisite way. A large part of the film is composed of scenes of cooking refined dishes and their subsequent consumption, for which viewers are prepared in the opening half-hour sequence featuring dancing between cooktops and serving on the table, accompanied only by the ambient sounds of the kitchen and epicurean sighs. The connective tissue between courses is a tender romantic storyline in which expressions of love are never delivered without a candlelit dinner and the shared stirring of vegetable broth or Burgundy sauce is a prelude to intimate moments. A film in which the way to one’s heart is really through their stomach and in which even the anatomical description of eating sounds like love poetry.
()
“Worse than starving is having food just for daily fuel without knowing properly what you're eating.” Dodin's friends produce a lot of morsels of wisdom while feasting, and this could easily be another. You won't find any pressurized Boiling Point in late 19th century France, and the masterfully shot first 20 minutes are proof of that. The steam evaporating, the sizzle of the fat oozing out, the pots slowly bubbling and inside them dozens of organic ingredients you could only dream of when shopping in a supermarket. To make all that whirring or rustling stand out, the film also lacks any music. On the cooking and gourmet side, it’s pure masturbation. What is surprising, however, is that even the romantic line in the background of this gastro-paradise does not lag behind the cooking. The central couple in the autumn of their lives manage to sell emotions in the kitchen as well as in the bedroom. In short, Anh Hung Tran has sent out into the world the most French film "from the good old France" in years, and one where you really should have your mind made up about where you're going to eat after the credits roll.
()
This is one big caress to the soul. A beautiful ode to French cuisine, the French language and to love itself. The opening twenty minute or so cooking scene is a masterpiece, so be warned, don't watch it hungry :D In this film, food is the main character, it's either prepared or consumed, or it's very colourfully and poetically assessed and described, in a way that perhaps only the French can do. The production design is amazingly detailed and it wasn't until the end of the film that I noticed that there was no music; the soundtrack is the sounds of the kitchen: the bubbling of boiling water, the sizzling of oil in the pan, the shuffling of pots on the stove, a wooden spoon sliding on a skillet, the crackling of the fire in the fireplace, the clinking of cutlery on plates. Cooking here is not just a tool to fill the stomach and satisfy the appetite, cooking is portrayed as a very important way of communication, to express love and feelings where words are not enough. Similarly, the relationship between Eugenie and Dodin is beautifully and delicately portrayed. They love each other, admire each other, cook for each other with love. This film is like a dream. And rightfully won the Best Director award at Cannes. [Festival de Cannes 2023]
()
Ads