La Passion De Dodin Bouffant ( The taste of Things 2023 )

The Taste of Things (2023)
"God created water, but man created wine."

The Taste of Things (La passion de Dodin Bouffant) – how does one make a film about food? When meals are prepared in the kitchen with reverence and a gentle smile, you know you're getting closer to the answer — and to the essentials of life, or perhaps even more.

No, this is not a film featuring an angsty teenager hurling microwave dinners against the wall shouting, "This shit tastes like crap, and I can't be arsed to eat it!" Nor do we see a wide-eyed, screaming reality-TV chef, as tediously scripted into many fictional movies and shows. No. This writer longs for le beau élégance. And that’s exactly what’s on offer here.

The Taste of Things is set in the rural French countryside of the 1890s, where passionate culinary artists Eugénie (Juliette Binoche) and Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel) create their dishes with utter devotion — every pinch, every stir, every bite made with care and pleasure. Amidst the idyllic and peaceful rural scenery, they stroll through vegetable gardens and farms, smelling, tasting, and touching the gifts of nature — and, of course, they eat and savor the moments with their guests.

This is about process: slowness, discipline, and ultimately, result. It’s about the rich tradition of French cuisine, where legends like Antonin Carême and Georges Auguste Escoffier are naturally mentioned. Alongside the gastronomy, conversations arise — such as what connects Clos Vougeot wine to Pope Pius XI, and who exactly is Balzac?

What’s positively surprising about the film is its rhythm, serenity, and precision. It’s no wonder that one effortlessly slips into a sort of flow state — surely, by design. Strangely enough, the film feels somewhat like a Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds song — "Wonderful Life" — though with one key difference: The Taste of Things is not a love story per se, but rather an utterly gentle ode to food, to culinary artistry... to the marriage of earth and sky... par excellence!

Directed by: Anh Hung Tran
Based on the novel La vie et la passion de Dodin-Bouffant by Marcel Rouff

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