Cinema
The Taste of Things
It's easy to see why Tran Anh Hùng picked up the best director award at Cannes for The Taste of Things, a delicate love story between two middle-aged soulmates who have bonded over their love of fine foods and homemade cuisine.
Set in the late 19th century at a rustic chateau in the French countryside, Hùng captures the simplistic elegance of a bygone era, when the preparation of a sumptuous meal took days, if not weeks, to get just right.
Hùng's film is a feast for the senses, with the French-Vietnamese filmmaker capturing the rigorous discipline and preparation required to bring each luscious dish to the candlelit tables of the chateau.
Perfection in the kitchen, it seems, is a combination of timing, desire and devotion, using the right ingredients in precisely the right order, and I guess the same can be said for the love affair at the heart of this neatly balanced story.
Juliette Binoche plays Eugénie, a talented cook who works for Benoît Magimel's fussy gourmet Dodin, a man who likes to treat his guests to the finest food imaginable. Having worked together for the best part of twenty years, Dodin is smitten by Eugénie's dedication and talent, and would like nothing more than to marry her.
Eugénie is no too fussed on the idea of marriage, so Dodin decides that to win her heart, he must prepare her a meal that will woo her completely.
It's a simple love story, told with patience. Nothing is rushed here and Tran Anh Hùng intends for us to savour an appreciate every scene like we would each mouth-watering bite of the dishes on display.
Beautifully filmed, with fine performances and a story that will melt even the hardest heart, The Taste of Things is an absolute joy to behold.
The Taste of Things is screening at the QFT in Belfast until Thursday, February 22.
Netflix
Einstein and the Bomb
If Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer has sparked your curiosity about the dawn of the nuclear age, then this new docuseries takes a look at how Albert Einstein’s work influenced the scientists behind the notorious Manhattan Project.
Taking an in-depth look at Einstein's life and studies before and in the run-up to the rise of Hitler and the outbreak of World War II, director Anthony Philipson tries to establish how the war and the development of the potentially world-ending bomb had an adverse effect on Einstein for the remainder of his years.
