La passion de Dodin Bouffant (The Taste of Things)
Ordinarily I would write a review of a French film in French, but I don't think I have the ability to convey what needs to be said. It will be hard enough in my native language.
Food is more than just sustenance. Food has language. Food has emotion. Food has meaning. When someone prepares a meal with such elegance and finesse to awaken your senses and inspire emotional responses, then they are expressing how much they love and care for you.
To allow the food to speak, this film has absolutely no musical score. The sounds used are those of the frying pan, the stove top, knives and utensils. There is also attention paid to the breathing of those preparing food. Every sound a person would encounter is amplified in the film to remind us of how food speaks to us. The audience will also notice that when the food is placed in a person's mouth, there is no sound. There is no chewing, no crunching, no sound whatsoever except for when the person swallows. True genius.
The film takes place in the 19th century, so the art of cooking takes a lot of time. No microwaves or electronic timers. Everything is done with skill and a timer built inside the heads of the chefs. My eyes were glued to the screen during the scenes of preparing food, of which there are many. It is shot almost as an action film with all the moving parts.
The metaphor of preparing food as expressing emotion drives the plot as the chef, Dodin, and his cook of 20 years, Eugenie, work through feelings they both can't seem to express.
It's a beautiful movie, heartwarming, and heart wrenching. For all the chefs reading this, you will love it. And for all people that love food, go see it and learn how much love goes into your meals.
Ordinarily I would write a review of a French film in French, but I don't think I have the ability to convey what needs to be said. It will be hard enough in my native language.
Food is more than just sustenance. Food has language. Food has emotion. Food has meaning. When someone prepares a meal with such elegance and finesse to awaken your senses and inspire emotional responses, then they are expressing how much they love and care for you.
To allow the food to speak, this film has absolutely no musical score. The sounds used are those of the frying pan, the stove top, knives and utensils. There is also attention paid to the breathing of those preparing food. Every sound a person would encounter is amplified in the film to remind us of how food speaks to us. The audience will also notice that when the food is placed in a person's mouth, there is no sound. There is no chewing, no crunching, no sound whatsoever except for when the person swallows. True genius.
The film takes place in the 19th century, so the art of cooking takes a lot of time. No microwaves or electronic timers. Everything is done with skill and a timer built inside the heads of the chefs. My eyes were glued to the screen during the scenes of preparing food, of which there are many. It is shot almost as an action film with all the moving parts.
The metaphor of preparing food as expressing emotion drives the plot as the chef, Dodin, and his cook of 20 years, Eugenie, work through feelings they both can't seem to express.
It's a beautiful movie, heartwarming, and heart wrenching. For all the chefs reading this, you will love it. And for all people that love food, go see it and learn how much love goes into your meals.