145 mins |
Rated
TBC (for some sensuality, partial nudity and smoking.)
Directed by Tran Anh Hung
Starring Benoît Magimel, Juliette Binoche
Perhaps one of the most viscerally indulgent films of the year, filmmaker Tran Anh Hung’s The Taste of Things offers a sizzling, gastronomic treat that aims to satiate all of the senses.
At the heart of the film is a tender love story between two middle-aged cooks in their “autumn” years whose commitment to each other consistently reverberates throughout their rich, albeit, repetitive life.
The year is 1889 and Eugénie Chatagne (Juliette Binoche) can be found doing what she does best: cooking. Commanding the kitchen as if on auto-pilot, Eugénie waltzes around the stoves and counters with stunning confidence and finesse. No recipe books to be found, she adds thinly sliced vegetables to the pot au feu, dashes of salt to the brine of fish, and whole milk to the pastries that will no doubt come out perfectly golden brown. Eugénie is a food artist and is highly respected by chef Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel), whose meals are often prepared for him and his friends by Eugénie.
Admiring more than just her skills, Dodin is infatuated with Eugénie and expresses his love often. The two cooks have worked together for over 20 years and their love for each other has sustained time, growing stronger with each passing year.
It is never explicitly addressed why Eugénie has kept Dodin at a distance, romantically speaking, despite clearly having so much love for him, too. However, their love circumvents the need for traditional labels. They express their devotion through the food they prepare for each other; acts of service are their love language and they are fluent in their declaration.
In French with English subtitles.
Read more...
Perhaps one of the most viscerally indulgent films of the year, filmmaker Tran Anh Hung’s The Taste of Things offers a sizzling, gastronomic treat that aims to satiate all of the senses.
At the heart of the film is a tender love story between two middle-aged cooks in their “autumn” years whose commitment to each other consistently reverberates throughout their rich, albeit, repetitive life.
The year is 1889 and Eugénie Chatagne (Juliette Binoche) can be found doing what she does best: cooking. Commanding the kitchen as if on auto-pilot, Eugénie waltzes around the stoves and counters with stunning confidence and finesse. No recipe books to be found, she adds thinly sliced vegetables to the pot au feu, dashes of salt to the brine of fish, and whole milk to the pastries that will no doubt come out perfectly golden brown. Eugénie is a food artist and is highly respected by chef Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel), whose meals are often prepared for him and his friends by Eugénie.
Admiring more than just her skills, Dodin is infatuated with Eugénie and expresses his love often. The two cooks have worked together for over 20 years and their love for each other has sustained time, growing stronger with each passing year.
It is never explicitly addressed why Eugénie has kept Dodin at a distance, romantically speaking, despite clearly having so much love for him, too. However, their love circumvents the need for traditional labels. They express their devotion through the food they prepare for each other; acts of service are their love language and they are fluent in their declaration.
In French with English subtitles.