Movie Review — — The Taste of things 火上鍋
I went to the cinema to watch the pot-au-feu.
I was in desparate need of a romantic movie. But it turned out it’s not.
As I went into some articles of this movie, I realized that Juliette Binoche and Benoît Magimel were a couple twenty years ago. Setting in 19th century France, the chef was so delicate in every detail. And
Sensitive as I am, I need to find out a reason of any trace of love in the movie.
No, just that in each night, after a grandoise daily work serving someone, the chef would sit with his cook at the river, drinking wine, and the chef asking his cook the same thing over and over again — — — “could you marry me? “
The cook, her, responded in a very modern way — — — “we’ve already have everything just like a couple, what’s the point of getting married?” Each night, he went to her room and slept together. Exactly, what’s the difference of this and after marriage?
“Then I coulnd’t lock my door anymore.” She talked really with a Virginia-Wolf-style: “If a woman wants to be independent, she needs her own room, a lock to the door, and a table to write.”
Suddenly, the cook(actually it is the cook who took on most of the duties) felt down with her physical health conditions. She had to lie in bed. Soon after that the chef made a proposal dinner — — — each with great details that the cook invented. As she gouted this dinner, she found a ring. The chef came up, took a chair, and asked, “Could I watch you eating?”
“If you want. Of course.” She kept eating the meal he prepared, and he watched her eating. I found this scene captivating.
But there’s something I cannot figure out, “vous” is in modern times a very respectful usage for people with higher social status or people unknown. But even with partners or couples you still need to address them with “vous.” That part of french culture is unheard of for me.
And soon after their announcement of engage, the cook passed away. The ghost that went on and on in the chef’s mind was all the converstions they used to have.
In the last scene, they were discussing on the kitchen table, she said, “Avant qu’on discuse, je voudrais poser une question tres importante pour moi. Est-ce que je suis votre cusenaire ou votre femme? “
“Cusenaire.” C’est une confirmation de son matrise pour cuisine.
Voila.
A film that goes with a kitchen dancing pace — — — -people come in and out, ad even if someone passes away, life continues.
