The Taste of Things (PG)

This deliciously sensual adaptation of Marcel Rouff’s classic 1924 novel 'The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet', blends cooking with romantic love, and won director Trần Anh Hùng (The Scent of Green Papaya) the Best Director prize at Cannes 2023.

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.

Cast: Juliet Binoche, Pierre Gagnaire, Benoit Magimel, Jean-Marc Roulet

Director: Anh Hung Tran

★★★★★ "feels like a return to the very best kind of comfort viewing, a work that nourishes the soul and whets the appetite but without the sprinkling of irony." FINANCIAL TIMES

★★★★★ "Food is a gift of love here – and romance courses through this delightful film." TIME OUT

★★★★★ "Divine. Binoche and Magimel make for a perfectly-matched pairing." LITTLE WHITE LIES

★★★★ "The camera lingers on the food more than the cooks; the only sounds are the bubbling copper saucepans, the tap of shoes on the stone floor and birdsong from the garden. This is Frenchness turned up to 11." TIMES UK

★★★★ "Vanishingly rare are pictures that capture this kind of relationship so satisfyingly." OBSERVER UK

★★★★ "Dramatically, this may seem slight. But bounteous pleasures lie in the intimacy of the acting and in the exquisite cinematic and culinary craftmanship on display." EMPIRE MAGAZINE

★★★★ "[A] mouth-watering banquet of full-fat foodie cinema..." DAILY TELEGRAPH UK

★★★★ "This film is a thing of beauty, a sumptuous feast of the senses. I can't wait for a second helping." HEYUGUYS