The Pot-Au-Feu

English

A scrumptious romance about cooking beautiful food as an act of love. In 1885, Eugénie (played by the miraculous Juliette Binoche) is the personal cook for one of France’s most renowned gourmet chefs, M. Dodin Bouffant (Benoît Magimel). Dodin and Eugénie spend their days together, dreaming up exquisite recipes, and in the evenings, they host wealthy guests for dinner. Over the years, Dodin and Eugénie have fallen in love, but they have never married, nor have they confessed their passion for one another. One day, when Eugénie is too ill to cook, Dodin takes it upon himself to cook a meal for her, in an effort to express his affection and appreciation for his long time companion.

The Pot-Au-Feu (titled The Passion of Dodin Bouffant in France, and The Taste of Things in the United States) is the newest film from the Vietnamese-French director Tran Anh Hung (The Scent of Green Papaya), and like his previous films, it’s a total delight for the senses. This film was the recipient of the Best Director prize In Competition at Cannes this year. It also played in the Spotlight section of the New York Film Festival.

Like Sense and Sensibility by way of Chef’s Table, Tran Anh Hung’s film is a romantic period drama that features some of the most stunning food photography you will ever see. This film understands that food is more than just nourishment; Food is a reminder that we are alive, something that can be shared, or passed down to our children. Food, like cinema or art, is a way to have a shared experience of something beautiful with other human beings. Like a French cookbook adapted to the screen, The Pot-Au-Feu is an astounding work of art.