Il gusto delle cose

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 beautifully shot movie with excellent attention to sound and atmosphere. If you have an interest in cuisine I mean really strong interest and get joy out seeing the process of the making of haute French dishes then this is the movie for you. If not then it's a bit of a drag with more care put into these (very beautifully shot) scenes of plate after plate being prepared and enjoyed than actual story to be told. It's a frustrating film as there is a story underneath and when we are taken to that story on occasion it's full of potential and some well crafted monologue but it's too rarely visited to feel satisfied with this meal. There are some wonderful tender moments that are memorable but are drowned in one of the many sauces that the story puts ahead in priority. The story feels as though it ends before it really began and even with the ending being a sweet look at the past and what it means to love, it doesn't feel fully baked enough for that message to really mean much.

"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.

Why dont they make movies like this anymore? The beauty of the food, people and surroundings take you away on a sensory trip. I also miss this idealized depiction of love. Everything is so delikate and Beautiful. I recommend you to what this if you respect and appreciate the art of food preparations and the beauty of a life Long romance. The asthetic is so pleasing, everthing from birds chirping in an early morning vegetable garden, the Sound of the food simmering, all the fine pressed linen clothing, the coiffed hair, the reflection of warm sunlight on the Walls and copper pots, the wind in the flowers on the forest floor. Exquisite!