While it didn’t win the Palme d’Or at Cannes this year, Tran Anh Hung‘s “The Taste Of Things” may have been the most delightful film at the festival. It won Hung Best Director, and received unanimously positive reviews from critics (read The Playlist’s review here). And now the movie gets a few more screenings at Fall festivals before it, with any luck, hits US theaters before 2023 is out.
So what’s all the fuss about with “The Taste of Things” (its french title: “The Pot-Au-Feu“)? French acting powerhouses Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel star in a culinary drama in the vein of “Babette’s Feast” and “Big Night,” about the intense working relationship between a chef and a restaurant owner.
Here’s an synopsis for “The Taste Of Things,” courtesy of Cineuropa:
1885. Peerless cook Eugenie has worked for the famous gourmet Dodin for the last 20 years. As time went by, the practice of gastronomy and mutual admiration turned into a romantic relationship. Their association gives rise to dishes, one more delicious than the next, that confound even the world’s most illustrious chefs. But Eugenie is fond of her freedom and has never wanted to marry Dodin. So, he decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her.
“The Taste Of Things” also stars Emmanuel Salinger, Patrick d’Assumçao, Galatea Bellugi, Jan Hammenecker, Frédéric Fisbach, and Bonnie Chagneau-Ravoire. Jean-Marc Roulot, Yannik Landrein, and Sarah Adler round out the main cast.
Tran Anh Hung both writes and directs “The Taste Of Things.” It’s her first film since 2016’s “Eternity.” Gaumont oversees the film’s French theatrical release on November 8. Stay tuned for its US theatrical release date.
Watch a new trailer for “The Taste Of Things” below. And rest assured: Tran Anh Hung’s film will undoubtedly be on many critics’ yearly Top 10 lists.
