Released 2023. Director: Tran Anh Hung
FEW PURSUITS ARE GIVEN AS MUCH ATTENTION and depicted with as much detail and zeal onscreen as cooking. Think of the ways the directors make us see how a meal is prepared in Babette’s Feast, Eat Drink Man Woman, Julia & Julia, Big Night or Ratatouille.
It's not always about the feast but more about what the act of cooking means. Movies focusing on food and its creation reveal much about those who prepare and those who partake. Passion, love, romance, nourishment, connection, bond and of course, the enjoyment of tasting what's being served.
The Taste of Things, or its original title in French "La Passion de Dodin Bouffant", opens in the pale light of dawn. Eugenie (Juliette Binoche) harvests a selection of vegetables fresh from the dewy ground and brings a basketload back to her kitchen, which is already buzzing with activity. Eugenie is a highly regarded cook working for renowned gourmet Dodin Bouffant (Benoit Magimel), nicknamed Napoleon of the culinary arts. She has honed her considerable skills under his employment and guidance for 20 years preparing exquisite French cuisine. Today, Eugenie is preparing a lavish lunch for Dodin and his foodie friends.
This opening scene introducing us to the characters and their work lasts nearly 40 minutes but director Tran Anh Hung directs the cooking with such affection and fluidity the time simply flies by and dissipates like steam from one of Eugenie’s many pots on the stove. I'd be remiss if I didn't emphasise that Jonathan Ricquebourg’s cinematography here is sublime, warm and glistens with the copper shine of the saucepans. I was completely enthralled.
Bincohe is superbly efficient in her role. I have no idea if she went through cooking lessons to nail her performance here but Binoche is mesmerising. Step by step, her command of the craft (of acting and cooking) is a joy to watch.
In the sunny kitchen, the camera follows her every move as she slices and mixes, sautés and braises. She guts a fish, cuts a loin of veal, cooks some crayfish and poaches a turbot in milk and lemon. She adds a bottle of wine to her stock, sprinkles fresh herbs and instructs her apprentice Violette and visiting cousin Pauline in the soothing tone of a thoughtful mentor. Eugenie is busy but she’s never hurried or flustered. She moves between her tasks with calmness and ease with an occasional smile.
Complementing this love for cooking and fine foods is the relationship between Eugenie and Dodin. The man is besotted with the luminous goddess of the kitchen but for 20 years she’s been rebuffing his proposal for marriage (although she’s not averse to the occasional bedroom visit). The fact that Magimel and Binoche were once married to each other might have something to do with the relaxed chemistry between them. The understanding and intensity they share in the kitchen is more than the accumulation of experience and skills over the years, it’s almost as fervent as a religious calling.
After Eugenie falls ill, Dodin, an accomplished cook himself, prepares a special menu for the love of his life. Eugenie's fainting spells and subsequent diagnosis of a gloomy outlook is quietly conveyed without dramatics. Her death, which follows not long after, is likewise handled with tenderness by the director. An earlier scene of Eugenie and Dodin walking in the woods cherishing their time together is suffused with a golden autumnal hue, a handsome portrait of romance and the encroaching finality.
After Eugenie’s passing, Dodin’s bereavement is something no amount of fine food would soothe, until he sees the possibility of passing on Eugenie’s legacy to 10-year-old Pauline who, despite her age, has an incredibly discerning palate. The girl’s adamant enthusiasm to learn the craft in Dodin’s kitchen leaves the movie with a sense of renewal and continuity.
The Taste of Things is a pleasure to watch for its beauty, eloquence and warmth. Whether it's as simple as an omelette or a generous multi-course spread, the sensuousness of cooking and partaking is enriched by the sharing and appreciation of knowledge and skills. It’s about enjoying the moment – of preparing and eating. It’s about savouring the taste and relishing the desire for epicurean delight. Compared with the recent spate of cooking-themed movies featuring tyrannical and egotistical chefs, The Taste of Things is an antidote to cynicism and acidic satire. A moreish serve of devotion, humility and generosity.
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