I'm not sure if soufflés is a good persona proxy for this movie but I'll use it anyway – light, fluffy and sweet. My summary line says the rest.
One time assassin-personified Jean Reno acquires a new persona playing Alexandre Lagarde, a Michelin 3-star chef who is in danger of being downgraded to 2-star because of rigid adherence to tradition, thereby failing to keep up with the trend. Believe it or not, his steadfast perseverance is surpassed by that of his young assistant Jacky Bonnet (superbly played by Michael Youn) who knows every receipt the master ever created by heart, and never shies away from a confrontation when he notices that the master has deviated ever so slightly from his own original receipt. More than once, when reminded that he has not followed the Largarde receipt, the 3-star chef in exasperation yells, "but I AM Lagarde".
This odd couple is thrown together by chance. On Lagarde's side, the semi-retired restaurant owner's son, in his eagerness to take over the empire, starts by sending Largarde's left- and right-hand men sway to head up establishments in other cities, with the eventual design of getting rid of Lagarde himself. As to Bonnet who, while brilliant, is entirely self-taught and therefore needs a proper entry-point into the profession that he craves. Obviously, the duo fit each other's needs perfectly, and chance does the rest.
The main plot, then, is in how the two fight off the owner's son's attempt to discredit Lagarde by inviting prestigious restaurant critics who have a preference for modern trends, such as "molecular gastronomy" (if you, like me, do not know what this is, watch the movie and find out, amidst a roar of laughs).
Almost another main plot is Bonnet's relationship with heavily pregnant girlfriend (exquisitely lovely Raphaelle Agogue), the standard rom-com staple in this movie. To complete, there is a sub-plot of Largarde's relationship with his grown-up daughter preparing for presentation and defence of an academic paper. In addition, there is the usual assortment of support and minor characters to adorn the movie.
Here you have it all: funny (at times hilarious), sweet, warm and touching, feel-good. The fact that almost everything is quite expected does not in any way diminish the pleasure you'll derive from this delightful 84-minute fare.
One time assassin-personified Jean Reno acquires a new persona playing Alexandre Lagarde, a Michelin 3-star chef who is in danger of being downgraded to 2-star because of rigid adherence to tradition, thereby failing to keep up with the trend. Believe it or not, his steadfast perseverance is surpassed by that of his young assistant Jacky Bonnet (superbly played by Michael Youn) who knows every receipt the master ever created by heart, and never shies away from a confrontation when he notices that the master has deviated ever so slightly from his own original receipt. More than once, when reminded that he has not followed the Largarde receipt, the 3-star chef in exasperation yells, "but I AM Lagarde".
This odd couple is thrown together by chance. On Lagarde's side, the semi-retired restaurant owner's son, in his eagerness to take over the empire, starts by sending Largarde's left- and right-hand men sway to head up establishments in other cities, with the eventual design of getting rid of Lagarde himself. As to Bonnet who, while brilliant, is entirely self-taught and therefore needs a proper entry-point into the profession that he craves. Obviously, the duo fit each other's needs perfectly, and chance does the rest.
The main plot, then, is in how the two fight off the owner's son's attempt to discredit Lagarde by inviting prestigious restaurant critics who have a preference for modern trends, such as "molecular gastronomy" (if you, like me, do not know what this is, watch the movie and find out, amidst a roar of laughs).
Almost another main plot is Bonnet's relationship with heavily pregnant girlfriend (exquisitely lovely Raphaelle Agogue), the standard rom-com staple in this movie. To complete, there is a sub-plot of Largarde's relationship with his grown-up daughter preparing for presentation and defence of an academic paper. In addition, there is the usual assortment of support and minor characters to adorn the movie.
Here you have it all: funny (at times hilarious), sweet, warm and touching, feel-good. The fact that almost everything is quite expected does not in any way diminish the pleasure you'll derive from this delightful 84-minute fare.