El sabor de la vida

Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel shine in their respective roles as a beautiful cook and her long admiring gourmet lover. The film is a great celebration of food with the first 20 minutes or so being a real feast for the eyes as a sumptuous meal is prepared in intricate detail as we salivate in our seats. This is very skilfully done as with minimal dialogue and accomplished direction we get a deft introduction to the characters involved as they create the mouthwatering dishes. There's a lovely tone to this film which celebrates in equal measure the love between the two lead characters and their shared passion for wonderful food and the lighting and cinematography is exquisite. The sequence where Dodin cooks for Eugiene is a delight as his two great passions come together, not least in the dessert. It was a pleasure to watch this life affirming film though I'd recommend you either eat immediately before it or have food ready immediately after as it will engage your tastebuds. Finally there is a winning performance from Bonnie Chagneau Ravoire as Pauline that is impressive for such a young actress.

A leisurely, luminous portrait of love, culture and cuisine, The Taste of Things is a feast for the eyes. It's all about partnership through a shared passion, conveying feelings through fewer words and baked Alaska. With such deep themes and beautiful visuals, no wonder it's France's selection for this year's Academy Awards.

The Taste of Things is a tough movie to summarize. It's about so much more than its plot... but here goes. The film takes place entirely in a 19th century French manor, mostly in its warmly-lit, wood-accented kitchen and centers on the bonds between the characters. Dodin Bouffant (Benoit Magimel), an esteemed gourmet partly based on real-life gastronome Jean Brillat-Savarin, oversees the meal, helps with the cooking and visits with his group of friends. His partner in the kitchen, Eugenie (Juliette Binoche), beams as she whips up dozens of French culinary marvels. They have two assistants, who seem more like daughters, the teen Violette (Galatea Bellugi) and her niece Pauline (Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire). This scene unfolds each day for years. The film follows Dodin's and Eugenie's romance as it evolves from unspoken partnership to marriage to separation by illness, as well as how the younger members of the kitchen grow.

Director Tran Anh Hung opens The Taste of Things with a 38-minute long tracking-shot scene of the characters preparing an intricate meal with zero technology (it is the 1880s, after all), relishing every step of the way. I found it so satisfying to watch that I didn't pay any heed to its length, though this may not be the case for some viewers, as the only lines said are "Put the veal in the oven" and a couple directions like this. I actually enjoyed getting to know the characters by watching what they do and observing their body language. There's many more scenes like this one, none 38 minutes long, though. The film does have a bit of a languid pace, which takes some getting used to and might not suit some viewers' taste (pun intended). The few events that happen outside the kitchen happen either in the bedroom, in the living room or the adjacent garden. On another note, Dodin and Eugenie's relationship is a centerpiece of this film, and Magimel and Binoche as Dodin and Eugenie spellbind with their subtle yet powerful acting and palpable bond. Dodin has proposed to Eugénie a number of times over their 20 years together, to no avail. She says marriage is not right for them, because their bond is one of mutual respect and tenderness. The openness with which they discuss love is rare in modern films, as is their clarity on the matter - truly a mature romance. Additionally, the interactions between Binoche and Chagneau-Ravoire as Pauline are a delight to watch. Pauline's passion for food is shown in a scene where she names each of the two dozen items in a dish and when she nearly cries after tasting a baked Alaska; Eugenie sees herself in the young girl and takes her under her wing. Jonathan Ricquebourg's mouth-watering and skillful cinematography - tracking people as if walking beside them, sometimes peering into pots, and sitting at the same table as Dodin's "suite" of friends - along with Tran Anh Huang's careful direction adds an indescribable realism to the film. It's a film that will make you hunger for more.

The Taste of Things is a film about indulgence - in food, in love, in family. It also shows viewers that truly powerful relationships are those that transcend labels and that are bound by shared love for one another and, in this case, a shared passion. It shows viewers that food is inextricably tied to love, life and joy. Be forewarned that the film does contain scenes with partial nudity and smoking.

I give The Taste of Things 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. The Taste of Things releases on February 9, 2024 in theaters and is an Oscar nominee. By Eshaan M., KIDS FIRST!

"Dodin" (Benoît Magimel) and "Eugénie" (Juliette Binoche) have a synergy in the kitchen that creates mouthwatering and innovative culinary treats for their friends. She does the cooking, he more the design; she shuns the limelight, he is more gregarious - but it's a professional relationship that has worked well for the last two decades. It's probably fair to say that they are both a bit slow off the mark, but gradually now their relationship begins to become one of a more personal, intimate, nature but she is still uncertain. How to win her round? Well he starts to prepare delicacies to tempt both her palate and her heart. The path of truth love never runs smooth, though, and soon their dynamic is facing a testing time that will likely see unwelcome change for all concerned. What I actually liked about this film is that there's not a great deal of dialogue. It looks great and the two actors genuinely convince as they prepare their gourmet dishes using ingredients and techniques that are way more fascinating than the unfolding drama between their characters. You can almost smell the food! It also doesn't shy away from some of the culinary curiosities of rustic French cuisine, so be prepared for a few dishes that might not do for your appetite what they do for those on screen, but by two hours in I found myself genuinely invested in what I was watching - and very glad I'd eaten first. Cooking is an art form; so is good cinema - we get both here in abundance.

During a time where food is rarely explored due to the demand for convenience and lack of energy that we're willing to provide, "The Taste of Things" invites audiences to transcend into a space that most of us have never known. Not only a space of pure romance in 1889, but one that is tied together with an equal adoration for the artistic and emotional nature of food, and the endless beauty that stems from the smallest details. Whether it's because Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel were married for 5 years in real life or simply because they're incredible actors, the chemistry and understanding for one another are potently sincere and encourage viewers to seek nothing less than what they're experiencing. Discover passion, meticulous care embedded under a foundation of years-long expertise, and a chase toward love that never ends even when most relationships do. The framework of a slow rotating camera, necessary silence, patient observation, and organic expression creates a tone that you can nearly taste. A delightful masterpiece by Anh Hung and one that I'm craving to see again.

Cooking is a huge part of my life. I dream of a kitchen like the one in the movie where everyone could cook together. I also dream on having enough time to have cooking as a lifestyle! I'm the happiest when I'm trying nicely cooked meals. That movie spoke to me in so many levels. The love story, how romantic! The girls helping out, the girls eating the same food as the adults and learning to enjoy it. The style of the filming. Now I wish all cooking tv programs were like that, you watch the magic happening without the nonsense of the narrative from a presenter. I watched in French with Spanish subtitles so I missed some of the storyline and yet, it moved me to tears!