Carême

The aftermath of the early period in the French revolution, as Napoléon Bonaparte proves to be no different than the previous royal dictators who continued with corruption to suppress the people with poverty. In the thick of it was the legendary chef, Antonin Carême (the superb Benjamin Voisin), who was forced to participate in the dirty political games in order to survive and save his step-father. The amazing food that Carême creates to appease the powers-that-be looks amazing, as does the production values in this fascinating thriller during a historical time of political upheaval and social unrest, where believe it or not some of France's culinary delights were born...

Carême" may be the most Gallic show ever made. Not because the Apple TV+ drama features enough torrid affairs to make Carrie Bradshaw blush; not even because the action unfolds in the political heart of Napoleonic Paris, enlisting such real-life figures as foreign minister Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand (Jérémie Renier), police chief Joseph Fouché (Micha Lescot) and Empress Josephine (Maud Wyler) as major characters. No, what makes this French-language show about French history so extra, incredibly French is the namesake protagonist: a dashing, seductive, single-earring-wearing spy who also happens to be a founding father of haute cuisine.

Careme is "glossy" and melodramatic and frequently risque telling of an enjoyably wild this series is a garlanded with glamour, royalty and vast historical panoramas...not a documentary".

The serous shows the characters talent in deepth and astounding ways of doing things.

At the heart of Carême is Benjamin Voisin's captivating performance as Antonin Carême, an orphaned pastry prodigy whose culinary genius propels him from the slums of Paris to the opulent courts of Europe. Voisin masterfully captures Carême's fiery ambition and complex moral compass as he navigates a world where every dish can be a political statement and every alliance a potential betrayal. His portrayal brings depth to a character torn between the pursuit of gastronomic perfection and the seductive lures of power and fame.

The series intricately weaves Carême's culinary journey with his reluctant entanglement in espionage, orchestrated by the cunning diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, played with sly sophistication by Jérémie Renier. Their dynamic adds a layer of tension and intrigue, highlighting the precarious balance between art and politics in a time of upheaval.

After the Napoleonic Wars, the victorious powers of Europe were eager to dismantle France. Every monarch wanted a piece of it. But Talleyrand, a master of diplomacy, managed to preserve the nation's territorial integrity and ensured that France remained a power to be reckoned with. He used every diplomatic tactic at his disposal-none more effective than soft power. Lavish banquets and exquisite hospitality became tools of persuasion, orchestrated by his legendary personal chef, Marie-Antoine Carême. It is said-though likely apocryphal-that before meeting the angry kings of Europe, Carême declared: "Don't give me soldiers; give me 100 cooks, and I will rule the world."

Causing the issue because something had the character or I should say actor who played the character Joseph Fouché sounding horrible and so unpleasant to the ears. The experience was that it was just someone going way over the top, trying to be evil and overacting ridiculously. It was such a distraction from the show that it took it from what would've probably been a nine down to a six for me. The rest of the acting was very enjoyable and not over the top and suited the period piece well. Every word that came out of the actor who played Joseph Fouché was just so over exaggerated and unnecessarily loud. It raked on my nerves. It really made me think this person needs to have gone and watched the show Tropic thunder and look at what Oscar winner Robert Downey Jr. Says about overacting and going to 100 when you're playing the bad guy. It's something you just don't ever do for reasons he list. Now how we ever gonna see this guy is anything other than this mousy overbearing bad acting character? I think he will have to change and play a different role with a different Voice or he's just forever going to be that character yuck! Because I enjoyed the show and didn't like having my nerves put on edge every time he talked, I wish they would redo his voice in it because that's probably not even the real Actor's voice and if somebody they just had dubbed in and they just go from being quiet to very loud way too much and with way too much emphasis in places where it just doesn't belong.