The Taste of Things

Set in late nineteenth-century France, the film centres on Eugénie, a gifted cook who has spent two decades working for Dodin Bouffant, a celebrated gourmet. Their shared time in the kitchen has grown into a romantic bond, and the dishes they create together are admired by the finest chefs. Eugénie values her independence, however, and has no wish to marry. In response, Dodin undertakes something he has never done before: he cooks for her.

Tran Anh Hung directed and wrote the screenplay, and Olivier Delmosc produced. It is the director's fifth feature, arriving after The Scent of Green Papaya, Cyclo and Norwegian Wood, and it returns him to a period setting. Benoît Magimel and Juliette Binoche lead as Dodin and Eugénie, with Patrick d'Assumçao, Emmanuel Salinger, Jan Hammenecker and Frédéric Fisbach in supporting roles. The film runs 135 minutes.

Made on a budget of about 7 million USD, it earned roughly 6 million USD worldwide. On IMDb it holds 7.4/10 from around 21,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.1/10 from roughly 421 votes. A critics' rating of 8.5/10 from 198 reviews places it well above both audience scores.