The Taste of Things (La passion de Dodin Bouffant) - Film Review

Post

Subscribe

Feast Your Eyes on This Delicious French Foodie Film

Some people say you eat with your eyes. If that is indeed true, then prepare yourself for a bountiful banquet. French historical romantic drama film The Taste of Things hits Australian cinemas on May 2nd, and it is jam-packed with scene after scene of incredible cuisine.

Directed by Tran Anh Hung and starring Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel, this film is more than just a treat for the senses—it's a culinary romance like no other. It’s beautifully realised, with wonderful sets, costuming and cinematography. The acting is so superb you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a documentary.



There is no sincerer love than the love of food.

Eugenie (Binoche) is a culinary virtuoso whose dishes dance on the palate like a symphony. Her unparalleled cooking skills have been the secret ingredient in the renowned gourmet Dodin's (Magimel) success among his foodie peers for over two decades.

Dodin and his pals regularly congregate for the sole purpose of eating fantastic food and talking about it. It’s 1920s French guy food club all the time for Dodin and his friends and the only rule of food club is you must eat food and talk about food obsessively. Dodin is the most respected of all members of food club because his cook, Eugenie has the finest culinary skills in all the land. Dodin and Eugenie’s achievements are lauded by this fawning clique of French foodies whose only occupation in life seems to be to eat amazing meals and discuss what they thought of them.



Cooking is Love Made Visible

There's more to Dodin and Eugenie’s relationship than just food—there's a simmering romance beneath the surface. Dodin is smitten, but Eugenie is a woman who savours her independence like a fine wine. Always happy to be his cook and sometimes to be his lover, she is reticent to ever be a wife. The dishes they create together in Dodin’s kitchen express not only divine flavours but also profound emotions. When it seems Dodin may lose Eugenie, he decides he must turn the tables and cook a masterpiece for her, to prove his love.

The French have a reputation for being great lovers and a proud history of being leaders in gastronomy too. It seems fitting therefore that in seeking to make a truly French film, writer and director Tràn Anh Hùng has crafted a narrative with both themes at its epicentre. Eugenie and Dodin are bound by both a love for one another, but also for a passion for reaching extraordinary epicurean heights.



When talking about the casting, Tran reveals, “I immediately thought of Juliette. Benoît later. Juliette has unbelievable presence. Once she appears, everything becomes real, interesting, moving. Since she is a modern, committed woman in real life, she brings to the character an interior strength that makes her resistance to Dodin’s desires all the more palpable.

“Benoît came later, in the nick of time. He was a great stroke of luck. He is the most relaxed, amusing actor I’ve ever worked with. He has a great talent for relaxing and letting go… Bringing them together again after twenty years of not working together was something unique.”

Here's a little preview


The Taste of Things is perfect for those of you who have had a stressful day, (or week, or month, or even your year,) as many expertly shot scenes languish over the meticulous details of preparing a feast in the kitchens of a 1920s chateau. It is light on dialogue and heavy on the food sourcing, preparing, making, baking, roasting, sauteing, flambe-ing… think slow TV meets MasterChef.

Intended to be a prequel to Marcel Rouff's culinary classic, The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet which had been inspired by19th century French epicure Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, The Taste of Things (The Pot-Au-Feu) takes audiences on a delectable journey back to 19th Century France, with the aroma of haute cuisine filling the air and love simmering in the pot.



“I preferred telling the story as a prequel to Marcel Rouff’s novel,” Tran says, “That gave me the freedom to imagine the relationship between Eugénie and Dodin Bouffant. And it was also an opportunity to explore something rare in the cinema: conjugality.”

Will Dodin's culinary courtship win Eugenie's heart, or will she continue to savour her freedom like the finest of delicacies? Find out in The Taste of Things, where love is served with a side of mouth-watering cuisine and a dash of romance!

In cinemas around Australia from May 2
Running Time: 145 mins
Rating: PG

…

#food_drink
#arts_culture
#film_tv_reviews
#french_film
#movies
#cinema

%wneverywhere

All images in this article are courtesy of Rialto Distribution.