February 15, 2024
FILM: THE TASTE OF THINGS
DIRECTED BY: ANH HUNG TRAN
STARRING: JULIETTE BINOCHE, BENOIT MAGIMEL, EMMANUEL SALINGER
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
France made a mistake this year choosing to submit The Taste of Things as its submission for the Best International Film Oscar instead of the much-acclaimed Anatomy of a Fall. The former didn’t get nominated in the category but the latter received several nominations including Best Picture. (It’s a strange system…) The Taste of Things comes from director Anh Hung Tran and it clocks in at a rather long 145 minutes. It’s the story of Eugenie, played by Juliette Binoche, who in 1885 has been working for the owner of a major restaurant in France for 20 years. He, Dodin Bouffant, played by Benoit Magimel, is also well equipped in the kitchen but spends some of the time training a niece in the culinary arts and the rest of his hours entertaining seemingly important Frenchmen.
Eugenie works pretty tirelessly and happily preparing, with great detail, many of the specialty dishes made of fish or veal that feature sumptuous looking sauces. During the early scenes we salivate while witnessing them cooking, almost completely without words. The emphasis is on the ingredients and the preparation of the elaborate dishes. We don’t initially know who the characters are or why they are spending so much time in this kitchen. Cameras float around the food as Eugenie and helpers Violette and Pauline move from one section of the room to another almost like a well-choreographed dance.
Once the attention turns to the meal being served, a bit more dialogue is present (although even then, the male guests sit mostly silently while savoring every bite.) Discussions suggest a few vaguely touched upon themes such as the art and science of food preparation. Eventually the topic of marriage comes up and I think this is mostly what the film is interested in exploring. Dodin has asked Eugenie to marry him in the past but she has refused. Their “marriage” comes in the form of the dishes they create. It is also their language of love. She prepares incredible dinners for Dodin and his friends and he returns the favor when Eugenie is ill.
All of this makes sense given the context of the characters’ world but it does get a bit dull to watch after a while. Even though there is some drama that occurs approximately two thirds into the film, eventually we return back to the kitchen for an extra long final act. There is only so much of this fine food preparation that viewers like me can handle. Beyond that, there should be more story to follow. Yes, many of the shots are pretty exquisite and painterly and the performances are very good but the film itself is lacking in much for the audience to become invested in. Maybe that investment will be in a restaurant meal after the film since it will no doubt make most viewers extremely hungry.
The Taste of Things is now playing in theaters everywhere.
FILM: THE TASTE OF THINGS
DIRECTED BY: ANH HUNG TRAN
STARRING: JULIETTE BINOCHE, BENOIT MAGIMEL, EMMANUEL SALINGER
RATING: 3 out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
France made a mistake this year choosing to submit The Taste of Things as its submission for the Best International Film Oscar instead of the much-acclaimed Anatomy of a Fall. The former didn’t get nominated in the category but the latter received several nominations including Best Picture. (It’s a strange system…) The Taste of Things comes from director Anh Hung Tran and it clocks in at a rather long 145 minutes. It’s the story of Eugenie, played by Juliette Binoche, who in 1885 has been working for the owner of a major restaurant in France for 20 years. He, Dodin Bouffant, played by Benoit Magimel, is also well equipped in the kitchen but spends some of the time training a niece in the culinary arts and the rest of his hours entertaining seemingly important Frenchmen.
Eugenie works pretty tirelessly and happily preparing, with great detail, many of the specialty dishes made of fish or veal that feature sumptuous looking sauces. During the early scenes we salivate while witnessing them cooking, almost completely without words. The emphasis is on the ingredients and the preparation of the elaborate dishes. We don’t initially know who the characters are or why they are spending so much time in this kitchen. Cameras float around the food as Eugenie and helpers Violette and Pauline move from one section of the room to another almost like a well-choreographed dance.
Once the attention turns to the meal being served, a bit more dialogue is present (although even then, the male guests sit mostly silently while savoring every bite.) Discussions suggest a few vaguely touched upon themes such as the art and science of food preparation. Eventually the topic of marriage comes up and I think this is mostly what the film is interested in exploring. Dodin has asked Eugenie to marry him in the past but she has refused. Their “marriage” comes in the form of the dishes they create. It is also their language of love. She prepares incredible dinners for Dodin and his friends and he returns the favor when Eugenie is ill.
All of this makes sense given the context of the characters’ world but it does get a bit dull to watch after a while. Even though there is some drama that occurs approximately two thirds into the film, eventually we return back to the kitchen for an extra long final act. There is only so much of this fine food preparation that viewers like me can handle. Beyond that, there should be more story to follow. Yes, many of the shots are pretty exquisite and painterly and the performances are very good but the film itself is lacking in much for the audience to become invested in. Maybe that investment will be in a restaurant meal after the film since it will no doubt make most viewers extremely hungry.
The Taste of Things is now playing in theaters everywhere.