The Taste of Others

Jean-Jacques Castella runs a factory and has little interest in culture, but a family obligation brings him to a performance of Racine's play Berenice, where his niece has a small role. He becomes fascinated by the lead actress, Clara Devaux, and gradually realises she is the same woman he once hired as an English tutor and then dismissed. He enrols in language lessons with her, hoping to get closer, while his wife and the people around them pursue their own attachments across the worlds of business and the arts.

Agnès Jaoui directed the film, her debut behind the camera, and wrote the screenplay with Jean-Pierre Bacri, who plays Castella. The cast also includes Anne Alvaro as Clara, Alain Chabat, Gérard Lanvin, Christiane Millet and Jaoui herself. Jaoui went on to direct Crescendo, released in 2026.

Made in France and released in 2000, the film runs 112 minutes and blends comedy, drama and romance. On IMDb it holds a rating of 7.2 from around 11,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.9 from far fewer votes. A critics' rating of 8 out of 10 from 60 reviews places it noticeably above the audience scores.