Movie Breakdown: The Taste Of Things

Pre-Screening Stance:

I’ve seen nothing but rave reviews for The Taste Of Things for a long while now, so I’m very excited to finally get to see it.

Post-Screening Ramble:

Wow.

That’s what I’d like to drop here and then go on with my day, but since that would be silly, I’ll expand. The Taste Of Things is centered around a chef named Dodin (Benoît Magimel) and his cook/love interest Eugenie (Juliette Binoche). He comes up with wondrous dishes, she executes them to perfection, and they live a harmonious life (in 1885) filled with delicious delights. There are, of course, a few other things at play for the pair, but their life is all about food and that’s what gets the spotlight here. Expect to quickly fall in love with Dodin and Eugenie’s kitchen, where they craft a whole slew of spectacular-looking dishes (pro tip: do not watch this movie while hungry), and count on finding yourself absolutely captivated by every conversation about food, even if all the details are soaring right over your head. What’s truly great about The Taste Of Things though is that while it’s built on a love for high quality cuisine, the heart of it is actually the relationship between Dodin and Eugenie, which I’m certain could not be more endearing. Part of that can be attributed to Magimel and Binoche’s on-screen chemistry – you just want to watch them do anything together forever – but writer/director Anh Hung Tran deserves a lot of credit as well. He masterfully lets the camera linger and float around during the couple’s encounters and it just consumes you. What a film.

You should see The Taste Of Things right away. It’s in theaters as of today, February 14.

One Last Thought:

I will remain forever disappointed that this magnificent movie didn’t land a nomination for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Academy Awards. I mean, at the very least, it’s worlds better than Society Of The Snow.