X
- 2023
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 2 h 15 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 2 h 15 m
Summary 1885. Peerless cook Eugenie (Juliette Binoche) has worked for the famous gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) for the last 20 years. As time went by, the practice of gastronomy and mutual admiration turned into a romantic relationship. Their association gives rise to dishes, one more delicious than the next, that confound even the world’s most...
Directed By: Anh Hung Tran
Written By: Marcel Rouff, Anh Hung Tran
- 2023
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 2 h 15 m
- 2023
- PG-13
- IFC Films
- 2 h 15 m
The Taste of Things
7.7
Where to Watch
Summary 1885. Peerless cook Eugenie (Juliette Binoche) has worked for the famous gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) for the last 20 years. As time went by, the practice of gastronomy and mutual admiration turned into a romantic relationship. Their association gives rise to dishes, one more delicious than the next, that confound even the world’s most...
Directed By: Anh Hung Tran
Written By: Marcel Rouff, Anh Hung Tran
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 43 Critic Reviews
85
93% Positive
40 Reviews
40 Reviews
7% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 43 Critic Reviews
85
93% Positive
40 Reviews
40 Reviews
7% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
The Taste of Things is rare, with a depth and maturity we don’t often see on screens anymore. It charts the connection of two mature adults who are at peace with themselves and each other. There’s a calm restraint to their relationship, and that adds to the film’s sensuality.
The couple’s pursuit of true, deep, sincere beauty in all things — in body and mind — despite these obstacles is infinitely touching.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 14 User Ratings
7.7
93% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
7% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 14 User Ratings
7.7
93% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
7% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
IN A NUTSHELL:
The story is about Eugenie, an esteemed, French cook, and Dodin, the gourmet whom she has been working for and sleeping with for over the last 20 years. He proposes to her multiple times, but she protests, saying they’re happier together than most married couples.
Already, the film has been nominated for 26 various awards at film festivals and won 7 of them in quite a few categories!
The artsy film was directed by Anh Hung Tron who adapted it from the novel “The Passionate Epicure” by Marcel Rouff.
THINGS I LIKED:
You WILL get hungry while watching this movie. French chef Pierre Gagnaire worked as the culinary director on the film and also appeared as a chef in a few scenes.
The first 20 minutes of the movie show several cooks in the kitchen, preparing an elegant meal, almost entirely in silence. We learn of the rhythm between these people and how fully engaged they are in their art. We feel the love of their art that is mixed into all of the ingredients of their dishes.
French cooking is so amazing. I used to teach classes at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary College and I have the weight gain to prove it! I ate some incredibly delicious and beautiful food there. Here in the United States, we used to have 16 campus but, sadly, they closed 7 years ago. Our campus, alone, spent $50,000 every year on butter! Ah, French cooking!
I’ve been learning French on Duolingo for a year, so it was fun to see how much I could understand while reading the English subtitles to check my skill. I have a LONG way to go before I can watch a movie like this without captions!
It’s always nice to see the lovely Academy Award winner Juliette Binoche. She and the other lead actor, Benoit Magimel, were together from 1998 to 2003 and have a daughter together in real life.
The film was shot at the beautiful Chateau du Raguin in France.
We get to see a beautiful vegetable garden that I wish I had.
There is an interesting scene when some men put napkins over their heads while they ate a bird dish in France named Ortolan Bunting. Because it’s also known as the sin plate, diners cover their heads with napkins to hide their sin from God. It’s known as a sin because the small songbird is force fed to make it plump and then drowned in Armagnac. Because the birds are now facing extinction, eating them is now banned in the USA and Europe.
We hear of an 8-hour dining experience offered by a prince. Wow. I love to eat, but even I couldn’t eat that long!
The original title of the film was “La Passion de Dodin Bouffant”, which means “The Passion of Dodin Bouffant.” We see how passionate he is about food, friendship, and the love of his life.
The film truly is a sensory feast from the mouth-watering food, the sounds of cracking twigs in the garden and bubbling food in pots, gorgeous French settings, sunlight pouring through windows, and the talk of relationships. What a truly delicious “taste of things.”
As the story is set in the 1870s in France, it’s entertaining to watch the characters learn about new discoveries like Baked Alaska from America and the power of copper rods in the garden.
I loved the scenes when they dined outdoors. So lovely.
Stunning cinematography.
THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:
Non-foodies will complain about the length of the movie and how bored they were while waiting for “something to happen.”
Some viewers will also be annoyed that there isn’t that much dialogue. Cooking food for others is a form of language, so I actually appreciated how the film portrayed that.
TIPS FOR PARENTS:
Kids will be extremely bored, especially because the movie is in French and they’d have to read subtitles.
We see the naked backside of a woman bathing.
Alcohol
Smoking
Talk of intimate relations outside marriage
Report
The film periodically risks turning into a swoony fantasy. But it is a fantasy we can favor because it’s one we all can share.
Food porn has never been yummier on film than it is in this indecently delicious French romance starring on-and-off screen lovers Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel as dueling foodies who craft mouth-watering dishes as a way of finding each other’s hearts.
Dramatically, this may seem slight. But bounteous pleasures lie in the intimacy of the acting and in the exquisite cinematic and culinary craftmanship on display.
In our world of gross TikTok hacks for one pot meals, it’s a balm to see things slowed down and with many, many beautifully rustic copper pots and cast-iron pans.
If you have to watch someone cooking or eating, Juliette Binoche is as good a choice as any, but even she can’t make scintillating entertainment out of chewing, stirring a pot and putting on oven mitts.
Impossível assistir a esse filme com fome! Um retrato intimista sobre o preparo culinário, com uma câmera e um jogo de cena quase impecáveis em relação ao enquadramento (embora um pouco cansativo na duração) no primeiro ato, e que aos poucos vai se imiscuindo ao simulacro balzaquiano da vida burguesa, com requintes que sustentam papéis sociais. No entanto, o lado intimista vem como um soco no estômago, e nossas relações particulares também se mostram cheias de (dis)sabores. Lindo.
Report
'The Taste of Things' invites you to the kitchen and lets you see in detail the passion and skills required to conceive the most succulent and ingenious dishes, in this case, of French gastronomy. The photography is key to this — the camera movements during the food preparation are essential to make you feel there, smelling and tasting it. The lighting is also beautiful, giving the kitchen scenes an exquisite warmth. But honestly, the love story here isn't all that fascinating. It's cute and human, but quite predictable. Luckily, the great performances of Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel make it a little more interesting. The film is visually satisfying, however, its focus on "enjoying every moment" makes it feel somewhat trite.
Report
Nice movie. Loved how it focused on the food and its preparation. The love story was good but the other subjects were, ultimately, not developed. That's ok. Our view is: "well worth watching if you like food and love."
Report
Production Company
Curiosa Films,
Gaumont,
France 2 Cinéma,
Umedia,
Canal+,
Ciné+,
France Télévisions,
uFund,
Région des Pays-de-la-Loire,
Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée (CNC),
Société des Producteurs de Cinéma et de Télévision (Procirep),
Tax Shelter du Gouvernement Fédéral Belge,
Investisseurs Tax Shelter
Release Date Dec 13, 2023
Duration 2 h 15 m
Rating PG-13
Website
https://www.tasteofthings.com/
Awards
Astra Film Awards
• 3 Nominations
César Awards, France
• 3 Nominations
Cannes Film Festival
• 1 Win & 2 Nominations
