In some ways this is a luxurious French cooking show. There’s more time spent showing the preparation of elaborate meals than anything else. The primary characters are the cook (Juliette Binoche) and the gourmet (Benoît Magimel) who create the dishes together, but also have a gentle love affair. Anyone who’s into the epicurean world will delight in the continual kitchen adventures, while their relationship gives the film a taste of tenderness. The other scenes revolve around his 3 friends, who do nothing but talk about and eat fabulous food. In an interesting parallel, the actors met 20 years ago and lived together for 5 years. They were basically estranged, but reunited for this film. Their unique bond shines through to give the picture its heart. Even though watching food preparation for more than 2 hours could be dull, Anh Hung Tran’s restrained direction parallels the mature intimacy of the leads, while relishing the delicious results. (French with subtitles) 
(3.5 / 5)