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People express their feelings in a number of different ways—whether through their time and attention, through giving gifts or just with their words. But in The Taste of Things (La passion de Dodin Bouffant), a pair of French colleagues express their feelings through the preparation of grand gourmet meals.
The Taste of Things explores food and love with Eugenie (Juliette Binoche), a well-respected cook who’s lived and cooked in a French manor owned by famed gourmet Dodin (Benoît Magimel) for more than 20 years. Together, they prepare meals that are known around the world. But while Dodin wants to marry Eugenie, she repeatedly turns him down. When she begins experiencing fainting spells, though, he worries that she might never make a commitment, so he decides to cook for her to show her how much he cares about her.
From the long and dreamy opening scene, following Eugenie, Dodin, and their two young assistants through the process of preparing a grand feast in their bright, airy kitchen, it’s clear that the focus of this film isn’t necessarily the story. While the story of the cook and the gourmet—and their decades-long partnership that’s grown into a romance—plays out in the background, the focus here is on the food. It’s all beautifully, lovingly filmed—each step in the process carefully documented—until Dodin and his circle of friends gather around to savor every bite while Eugenie and her helpers enjoy their own feast in the kitchen.
The cinematography here is exquisite—with such attention paid to each herb, each sauce, and each dish that you’ll almost be able to smell the aroma of this big country kitchen, where herbs and meats cook together to create each culinary masterpiece. It’s a remarkable sensory experience.
Still, while great attention is paid to the food, not as much as paid to the characters and their story. The character development feels lacking. Though the romance between these two long-time partners is sweet, viewers won’t feel as invested in their story as in their meals. And when it comes to an end, the film’s message feels rather muddled.
If you’re passionate about food and love to sit down to a gourmet meal, you’ll find The Taste of Things to be absolutely delectable. But while the food is filmed with great care, the story between these two food-loving characters could have used a little more flavor.
You can join these two gourmets in the kitchen when The Taste of Things arrives in select theaters on February 9, 2024.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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