The Taste of Things 2023

Savor every moment.

7.099 / 10   91 vote(s)
PG-13
Drama Romance

Set in 1889 France, Dodin Bouffant is a chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie. They share a long history of gastronomy and love but Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin, so the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her.

Homepage https://www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-taste-of-things
Release Date 2023-11-08
Runtime 2h 15m
Directors Tran Anh Hung, Jonathan Ricquebourg, Gigi Akoka, Angeline Massoni, Oriane Brisson-Bertrand, Axelle Rossini, Thierry Verrier, Louise le Bouc Berger
Producers Olivier Delbosc, Christine de Jekel, Emilien Bignon, Nora Chabert, Cédric Iland, Bastien Sirodot
Writers Marcel Rouff, Tran Anh Hung

"Dodin" (Benoît Magimel) and "Eugénie" (Juliette Binoche) have a synergy in the kitchen that creates mouthwatering and innovative culinary treats for their friends. She does the cooking, he more the design; she shuns the limelight, he is more gregarious - but it's a professional relationship that has worked well for the last two decades. It's probably fair to say that they are both a bit slow off the mark, but gradually now their relationship begins to become one of a more personal, intimate, nature but she is still uncertain. How to win her round? Well he starts to prepare delicacies to tempt both her palate and her heart. The path of truth love never runs smooth, though, and soon their dynamic is facing a testing time that will likely see unwelcome change for all concerned. What I actually liked about this film is that there's not a great deal of dialogue. It looks great and the two actors genuinely convince as they prepare their gourmet dishes using ingredients and techniques that are way more fascinating than the unfolding drama between their characters. You can almost smell the food! It also doesn't shy away from some of the culinary curiosities of rustic French cuisine, so be prepared for a few dishes that might not do for your appetite what they do for those on screen, but by two hours in I found myself genuinely invested in what I was watching - and very glad I'd eaten first. Cooking is an art form; so is good cinema - we get both here in abundance.

CinemaSerf