“The Taste of Things” opens at MV Film Center on Friday, March 22nd. French-Vietnamese Anh Tran Hung directs this culinary extravaganza, which stars Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel, who were actually partners 20 years ago. The film won the Palme d'Or for Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for three French César Awards, including Best Cinematography.
The film begins with Binoche, as Eugénie the cook, gathering vegetables from an outside garden. The year is his 1889. Eugenie takes the vegetables to the kitchen and, with the help of her young apprentice Violette (Galatea Bellugi), prepares a sumptuous meal, often smiling and using them with obvious joy. Each stage of preparation is depicted in close-up before the meal is served to her boss, the famous chef Dodan Bouffant (Benoît Magimel). Violette's niece Pauline (Bonnie Chagneau-Lavoir) joins the cooking group.
After eating the omelet made by Eugenie, Dodin joins in the preparation and instructs the two girls on the nature of the ingredients used. Bird chirping is the main sound effect, emphasizing that it is summer and that we are in the natural world.
Smell can be an important attribute, as is the taste of food, as is the way you use your hands when handling it. Copper pots play an obvious role in presenting food. The closeness with which Dodan and Eugenie often work together suggests an increased intimacy throughout the film, adding a romantic dimension.
Dodin's friends at dinner increase the number of characters who are part of the story and keep the movie from becoming boring. At some point during the meal, they will pull a cloth napkin over their head to smell the food in the meal. This is a dramatic visual effect. Another time, a prince in an exotic dress comes to visit and offers Dodin a menu for the dinner he plans to serve.
Eugenie's illness is subtly revealed when she spends time alone in her bedroom and later when Dodin comes looking for her and insists she is okay. Another time, he became upset and found her leaning against a tree, seemingly asleep.
Several scenes in which Eugenie appears naked suggest the sensuality of the story. The marriage of Dodan and Eugénie may seem like the climax of the film, but it is not. The following scene shows Dodin's emotions. He accepts Pauline's presence, but rejects the cook presented to him.
The amazing beauty of “The Taste of Beauty” can be seen as a metaphor not only for life itself, the importance of food, but also for the sensuality of preparing and eating it. It's a movie you don't want to miss.
Information and tickets are available at filmsociety.com.
