A dash of comfort, a sprinkling of versatility and a serving of sassiness combine to create Haute Cuisine; a crafty concoction that aspires to (and espouses the merits of differing from) the lofty heights of the gourmet culinary arts.
When we meet the no-nonsense Hortense Laborie (Catherine Frot, Bowling) within the confines of an Antarctic research station, her chief aim is to provide meals to a rag-tag colony of researchers above and beyond an average cafeteria standard. An Australian documentary crew is also in residence, chronicling the work at the base; when advised of Hortense’s history working for the French President (Jean d’Ormesson, TV’s Mon dernier rêve sera pour vous), they swiftly make her the focus of their attention.
In flashbacks that flit between drama and comedy, Hortense’s two years of service to her nation’s head of state is contrasted with her current duties, a variance less pronounced than might be expected. While cooking well with the finest ingredients is her life-long passion, her infamy among those who eat her food stems from her penchant for old-fashioned recipes – a preference now enjoyed by hungry inhabitants of cold climes, but originally cultivated by the President.
The eighth feature from writer/director Christian Vincent (Quatre étoiles) is based on a script he adapted with Etienne Comar (Of Gods and Men) from the fascinating real-life tale of Danièle Mazet-Delpeuch, and aptly straddles the divide between upmarket and ordinary. Moments that illustrate both extremes dwell within the film’s brief but somewhat overcooked running time: the interplay between the chef and her leader proves a dash of sweetness amidst the formalities surrounding their interactions, but the rift between the public and private lives of the protocol-conscious personnel of the Élysée Palace is overplayed to the point of cliché.
Though the script is slight and overstated, the performances prove the opposite, anchored by Frot’s restrained yet rustic sensibilities in the lead. Her supporting players are similarly competent, albeit afforded less screen time, with Arthur Dupont’s (Bus Palladium) turn as an assistant chef a standout. The culinary products of their characters’ efforts are sumptuously captured, as is the juxtaposition of the film’s two locales. While the result may not always be exciting, the film is still palatable, providing a pleasant but ultimately insubstantial cinematic meal.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Haute Cuisine (Les saveurs du Palais)
Director: Christian Vincent
France, 2012, 95 min
Alliance Française French Film Festival
www.affrenchfilmfestival.org
March 5 – April 7
In general release: 25 April
Distributor: Transmission Films
Rating: TBC
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