At The Movies: The Taste Of Things
The French love their food and wine, and The Taste Of Things stimulates the senses. I was warned not to watch it on an empty stomach and so glad I didn’t. The producers obviously wanted the viewer to focus entirely on what was happening on screen, as the only music heard was during the credits at the end!
Set in 1885, Eugenie (Juliette Binoche) has worked for twenty years with gourmet chef Dodin (Benoît Magimel). We can deduce for some interludes that Dodin has asked Eugenie to marry him on several occasions, but she enjoys her freedom. They do have a relationship though, where he “visits” her room on occasion!
We see a lot of Eugenie and her helpers, Violette and young Pauline (Bonnie Chagneau-Revoire). The latter shows enormous promise with recognising flavours and identifying the individual elements used in a dish. After discussions with Pauline’s parents, Dodin promises to take Pauline on as an apprentice.
There is some concern with Eugenie’s seemingly regular fainting spells, and under the advice of Dodin’s doctor-friend, she is ordered to rest and stay out of the kitchen. They say that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Dodin decides to use Eugenie’s incapacitation to see if the reverse works, and cooks an amazing, salivating dinner for her, matched with exquisite French wines.
I was so jealous of all dinner attendees throughout the movie, but especially the private dinner for Eugenie (and a bottle of Krug found in a ship, wrecked fifty years earlier)!
This movie will appeal to those enthralled with culinary delights. For me, the storyline was lacking, and I kept waiting for something to happen. The ending also left me with the feeling “so, is that it?” – possibly expecting Pauline to ‘wow’ Dodin with some marvellous creation. Despite this – I would love to have the recipes for some, if not all, of those amazing dishes!
Movie Review By John Glennie
Screening for the French Film Festival at Palace Cinemas
Rating: PG
Runtime: 145 minutes
