Film Review: ‘The Taste of Things’ is a Compelling Feast of Food and Love

I love a good meal. I also am a sucker for romance. So, The Taste of Things definitely started from a position of strength for me, but make no mistake, this is high class cinema. You watch as haute cuisine is prepared with exceptional care, skill, and utter attention to detail. At the same time, it’s woven into a romantic tale that caters to adults, with a mature take on finding love. This movie asks a bit of its audience, but provided you give it a chance, it’s serving up something absolutely delectable.

The Taste of Things isn’t just excellent food porn, it’s the sort of slow burn love story that can make a heart flutter. Without having any overtly dramatic moments, it tells a long story in a very natural way, all the while just showcasing meals that had me wishing I could crawl into the screen and dine alongside the characters.

Dodin (Benoît Magimel) is a highly regarded chef, living in a well- appointed estate, where the only room that really matters is the kitchen. There, he and his cook Eugenie (Juliette Binoche) have been collaborating for two decades. He comes up with the dishes, she executes them to complete perfection, assisted by Violette (Galatea Bellugi), and he eats it. There’s a rhythm here, as well as a not subtle understanding that he’s in love with her. She loves him too, but there’s a reluctance at play. Still, in the opening sequence, which is the entire first act and consists of a full multi-course meal being prepared for a gathering, the culinary sparks are flying.

While we see her occasionally let him into her bedroom, she doesn’t appear interested in a marriage or anything resembling commitment. You get the sense that it has been this way for years, but then Dodin tries something different. He starts cooking for her. I don’t want to say where things go, but it’s beautiful and tender and also just the right amount of sad. Plus, the food porn does not let up. The romance is there, for sure, but the meals are just as lusted after.

It shouldn’t surprise you that Juliette Binoche is aces, but both Binoche and Benoît Magimel are excellent. There’s a subtle chemistry at play that easily suggests long brewing love. The way Binoche slowly acquiesces to him, as well as their reactions to each other, it tells so much without having to spell anything out. Magimel ends up with more screen time and there’s a quiet poise to his character, even when you can tell he’s struggling. These are exactly the kinds of performances needed to make a deliberate film like this work. Supporting players, besides the aforementioned Galatea Bellugi, include Patrick d’Assumçao, Jan Hammenecker, Emmanuel Salinger, and more.

Filmmaker Tràn Anh Hùng makes sure to have your mouth watering just as much as your heart swooning. Co-writing with Marcel Rouff, there’s never extra attention called to any elements of the story, it just kind of washes over you. As for the direction, the food often takes center stage, but never in a way that detracts from the love story. You need to love the food as well as the characters. In that regard, The Taste of Things is a Michelin Star level experience. There’s no way not to leave this movie without being hungry as well as deeply moved.

The Taste of Things is quite the meal. If it’s perhaps too slow for some, it should absolutely bowl over others. I’m far closer to the latter camp, even if the pacing is a bit on the deliberate side. You can never go wrong with a quality film set in a kitchen, especially if the meals are to die for. Here, that is most definitely the case. Bon appétit!

SCORE: ★★★