The Taste of Things is a visually stunning experience but prepare to be frustrated as a promising plot is left in the background.
Before seeing the film I had huge excitement regarding this film as the critics loved it and the trailer honed in on how good this film looked.
Yet, after leaving the cinema I couldn’t help but feel disappointed – the film running at two hours 15 minutes has one hour 45 minutes of great visuals leaving very little time for the drama to be properly explored.
The film follows the relationship between cook Eugenie and Dodin, the gourmet.
Eugenie has been working for over the last 20 years and the pair grow more attracted to each other as the movie progresses.
The pair create dishes that impress even the world’s most illustrious chefs but when Dodin is faced with Eugenie’s reluctance to commit to him, he decides to start cooking for her.
Unsurprisingly to me, the film sits at a 34 per cent audience score but there is a huge disparity in the tomato meter looking at critic scores which sits at a 99 per cent approval rating.
Is there something in the film the audience missed that the critics didn’t?
I can, and did, appreciate the stunning visuals on show.
The aesthetics are sensational but I couldn’t help but feel frustrated at the story I feel we missed out on due to the sheer amount of time dedicated to the cooking.
When the love story between the pair is explored there are some beautiful moments and interesting drama but they end up falling flat as they are put on the back burner and the plot is clearly less of a priority than the endless dishes on show.
If you love French food and the real artistry that can be found in cooking then this film is definitely for you.
Overall it is hard to give this film a score as it is beautifully shot in stunning locations and the acting is great but if there was just more focus on the plot finding the right balance between the cooking and the drama this would be an exceptional film.
Yet, as the film is majority cooking over a substantive plot I will give it a 6/10.