Director Anh Hung Tran adapted Marcel Rouff's 1924 novel La vie et la passion de Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet (The Life and Passion of Dodin-Bouffant, Gourmet) into the screenplay. The character of Dodin-Bouffant was apparently inspired by the famous gourmet Anthelme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1926).
Because I watched it on a long flight–with distractions–I don't remember noticing that there was no composer and almost no music. Later I did find the song from the end credits, Méditation de Thaïs by Jules Massenet, arranged for piano and performed by Andrew von Oeyen. Here's an article explaining why Tran didn't use music.
French chef Pierre Gagnaire has a cameo and worked as culinary director (single card credit for Direction gastronomique) and there's a whole cuisine department not credited on imdb.
Watching it on my iPad with sunlight shining into the plane's cabin somewhat reduced my appreciation of the cinematography by Jonathan Ricquebourg and the glorious locations of the Chateau du Raguin in Maine-et-Loire, France, but they are lauded.
Binoche was last blogged for Non-Fiction. Magimel and Ricquebourg are new to me, despite dozens of credits for each. This is Tran's sixth picture but I haven't seen any, though a couple were on my list.
This is going on my running list of food movies as #33. Binoche also starred in #15 Chocolat (2000).
This can be rented from Apple TV and elsewhere but I had to buy it in order to download and watch it in airplane mode on July 31.
Nominated for 26 awards and winner of seven more, including 2023 Best Director at Cannes, the movie was eaten up by Rotten Tomatoes' critics, averaging 97%, while its audiences got full sooner at 76.
This can be rented from Apple TV and elsewhere but I had to buy it in order to download and watch it in airplane mode on July 31.
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