The Taste of Things (2023)

A heart-aching romance told through the language of food, The Taste of Things is a visually rewarding and emotionally engaging experience. Meticulous sequences of food preparation achieve a certain mesmerizing quality, while the conversation between the characters has a natural congelation, leading to an ultimately deliberate and thoughtful final product that is even in delivery.

The act of cooking is not ornamental, nor is it momentarily engaged; this film conveys its action not through fires, or bullets, but the carefully staged, shot, and executed capture of the creation of cuisine. To that end, its large setpieces are twofold: culinary and emotional.

The love story is depicted with surprising familiarity and warmth, both performers embodying their unique affections for one another. Benoît Magimel is superb, playing both a man on top of the world, and thrown to the lowest depths. Juliette Binoche conveys with moments of subtlety and clarity a woman in love, but who does not want romance to become a prison.

The cinematography is competent and fluid as it follows the motions of the kitchen and the flow of conversation.

A great tale of gastronomy and a solid romance, The Taste of Things is one meal worth indulging in.