100 Movies Every Catholic Should See #134: The Taste of Things (2023)

Written & directed by Trần Anh Hùng. Starring Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel.

(French Title: La Passion de Dodin Bouffant (The Passion of Dodin Bouffant))

I have to give credit to the readers of this blog, I would not have found out about this movie if it weren’t for you all!

This movie scored #100 on our poll results for the “Top 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century”, and I remember making a mental note to check it out sometime in the near future. So when I had the idea of doing a series on “food movies” I put it on the list- without having yet seen it, mind you! What can I say? I put my faith in the taste of our readers and when I finally watched this a few weeks ago it paid off in dividends.

The Taste of Things follows Benoît Magimel as a gourmet chef- Dodin Bouffant- in rural France in 1889; he has been ably assisted for decades by Eugénie (Juliette Binoche). The entire opening sequence that introduces us to the both of them is an incredible piece of filmmaking: almost no dialogue takes place as we witness- in all of its intricacy and sensory delight- the preparation of an elaborate meal for Dodin’s friends. Introduced in this scene is young Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire as Pauline, who is sent by her farmer parents to learn and potentially apprentice under Eugénie. Together they work in almost total silence (and more impressively, with no electricity) to create the most beautiful meals. One in particular stood out to me was one which seemed to be a stingray covered with a carefully prepared and reduced lemon and cream sauce.

The heart of the story, though, is the relationship between Dodin and Eugénie: they have worked together for so long they don’t need many words to communicate while prepping food. But their relationship goes much farther beyond professionalism, and we learn that for years Dodin has been trying to marry her. Now, in what Dodin calls “the autumn of their lives”, the question only grows in both of their minds. This is made all the more poignant by the fact that Binoche and Magimel were an on-again, off-again couple in real-life: therefore the chemistry on screen is truly palpable.

As Dodin contemplates this he is also thinking of returning to form with a simple beef stew done perfectly to impress the extravagant tastes of a visiting prince, who himself is trying to impress Dodin with his chef’s cooking. To do this he needs Eugénie, but he soon finds out that there is something she has been keeping from him about her health.

Overall the film was a sensory delight, and the cinematography by Jonathan Ricquebourg was incredible, not only of the food but also of the surrounding French countryside. Director Trần Anh Hùng is not afraid to feature long takes and, much like the food in the film, no shot feels wasted. Its a story about not only romantic love but of a much deeper shared of love of making art, particularly with food. And when that art is directed for the delight and enjoyment of another it is amplified all the more.

So, this is all to say, keep recommending stuff on here! I was so happy to find this film and look forward to seeing what other hidden gems are out there.

Just don’t watch this on an empty stomach.