Taste of Others, The

Boston Globe Jay Carr

A civilized delight.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

Jaoui handles her crowd of vivid characters so naturally, and shoots her scenes so unobtrusively, that the diagrammatic cleverness of the plot never overwhelms the intelligence of the observations.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

All of this romantic back and forth unfolds gradually and in charming ensemble style. As the characters think about seducing each other, as they inevitably complicate their lives without being able to help themselves, the film is simultaneously seducing us.

Mr. Showbiz Michael Atkinson

This is what Woody Allen movies might be like if they were not ruled by narcissism, pretentious point-scoring, cheap observations, and Woody's peculiar speech patterns.

Washington Post Eve Zibart

There are some things the French do better than we do, and this small movie is one.

Chicago Tribune Loren King

The storytelling is episodic, and the film takes a little while to get going, but it hits its stride.

Film.com Robert Horton

The Taste of Others takes regular (but not ordinary) people and knocks them out of their usual zones of activity. The resulting collisions leave behind a very pleasing flavor.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

A wonderfully generous spirit. It's a film about cultural yearning and fearless love.

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

It's the dialogue -- wisecracking and wistful in equal measure -- that plays out the tyrannical illogic of romantic attraction, and so endears us to this ensemble of bruised souls that when, as in life, not everyone gets what they have come to deserve, it feels, as in life, like an injustice.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Though its attitudes are decidedly French, this intelligent film goes a long way toward explaining America's obsession with Martha Stewart Living, fake designer labels and TV talk show makeovers.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

A witty, sociologically astute reflection on the attraction between opposites.

Newsweek Jeff Giles

A very funny movie, full of eccentric, deadpan little moments. What's more, it resonates, and has subtle, tender and acute things to say about romance, art, class and -- why not? -- interior decorating. It's a winning tribute to the flighty Aphrodite.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

The entire cast is marvelous and capable of conveying continents of emotion with a furtive smile or arched brow.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Why does affection sometimes grow between people who seem to have little or nothing in common? That's the tantalizing question running through this capably acted comedy-drama

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

It's a nicely crafted little ensemble piece, but -- like so many films that have become the rage in France in recent years -- it's surprisingly light and forgettable.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

A tad slow by American standards, but so extremely well-acted and emotionally truthful, it's right up there with "In the Mood for Love" as prime romantic fare for the Valentine's Day weekend.

San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann

Wonderfully original comedy.

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

A charming little valentine to the mysteries of attraction.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

One of the delights of The Taste of Others is that it is so smart and wears its intelligence lightly. Films about taste are not often made by Hollywood, perhaps because it would so severely limit the box office to require the audience to have any.

Philadelphia Inquirer Desmond Ryan

For everyone who has ever asked, "What on earth do they see in each other?"

Miami Herald Cary Darling

Nothing overly dramatic happens during the course of The Taste of Others but the characters prove to be engaging and their quite real human emotions are enough to carry it.

Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow

Its heart and head are in the right place, but its feet and hands aren't busy enough.

Village Voice J. Hoberman

A pleasant time-passer.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

A huge hit in France, this ensemble drama revolves around two very different social groups whose encounters with each other change several lives in surprising ways.