THE TASTE OF THINGS

Set in France in 1889, the film follows the life of Dodin Bouffant, a master chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugénie. We first meet Eugenie, portrayed by perfectly-cast Juliette Binoche (The English Patient), at dawn in a lush vegetable garden as she is gathering produce to prepare for the day’s meal. With her refined beauty, elegant precision, and sharp wit as she undertakes her culinary tasks, it’s easy to see why Dodin (Benoît Magime) is besotted with her. While the two share a long history of gastronomy and romance, Eugénie refuses to marry Dodin despite his many marriage proposals. She loves Dodin and his nighttime visits to her bedroom, but she also values her independence.  Now in their “autumn years,” Dodin decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her. Exquisitely shot and based on a novel by Marcel Rouff, Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùng (The Scent of Green Papaya, Norwegian Wood) received the best director award at Cannes for this mouth-watering, gastronomical love letter. The Taste of Things is France’s submission to the Oscars for Best International Feature. 

145 min.