TABLE FOR TWO // A FILM REVIEW OF "DELICIOUS (DÉLICIEUX)"

BY MATEO MORENO

Pierre Manceron (Grégory Gadebois) is a chef with exquisite taste. He knows exactly how to prepare the perfect dish, and as the master chef of the Duke of Chamfort (Benjamin Lavernhe), he is well liked and respected by the Duke. That is, as long as his cooking doesn't embarrass him. Pierre knows that his future is riding on the current meal he is presenting to the Duke and his guests. If all goes well, the Duke has promised to take Pierre to Paris with him. He's confident in his meal and presents it with a flourish. Dish after dish, the Duke and his guests heap praise and compliments upon the food, giving glowing review after review. That is, until they reach one final piece: a potato and truffle. The Duke's guests are horrified that someone dared to give them a potato dish, calling it "Bland and ugly" and saying it is only "fit for a pig." They begin to snort and laugh, tossing their food onto the ground. The Duke, now embarrassed that his guests are making fun of his meal, demands that Pierre apologizes for the dish. Stone faced and angry, he refuses and is immediately dismissed. After all, the dish is perfect. They are the ones who are wrong.

DELICIOUS (DÉLICIEUX) follows the story of chef Pierre Manceron in 1789 France as he now finds himself jobless, his pride shaken by his sudden and unfair dismissal. He heads back to his home in rural France, joined by his son Benjamin (Lorenzo Lefébvre) and a friend of his late father named Jacob (Christian Bouillette). He's lost his taste of cooking and plans on simply sitting in his anger and humiliation. That is, until a mysterious woman named Louise (Isabelle Carré) shows up and wants to be his apprentice. He tries to shake her away, but her determination keeps her there. Eventually realizing that she isn't going to give up, he accepts her as his apprentice and his love for cooking slowly simmers back into his life.

Director Éric Besnard and his co-writer Nicolas Boukhrief have crafted a shimmering and delightful film. Gadebois and Carré are both great here, showcasing a strong chemistry from the get-go. The scenes of cooking are delectable, to say the least, and it's definitely a film that will leave your mouth watering for the fine creations we are witness to. The ensemble cast all shine and it's a joy to see Pierre and Louisa essentially create the first restaurant for the public. Visually, the film looks splendid, with lush scenery and gorgeous detail to the meal preparations. In a couple of years, France will quite literally change and though Pierre may not be aware of it, he ends up a bit of a revolutionary himself, standing his ground and refusing to back down when his own morals tell him not to. It's a breezy affair littered among real life politics and it all goes does as smooth as a potato and truffle dish.

GRADE: A-

WRITTEN BY Éric Besnard, Nicolas Boukhrief DIRECTED BY Éric Besnard STARRING Grégory Gadebois, Isabelle Carré, Benjamin Lavernhe, Antoine Gouy, Lorenzo Lefébvre, Christian Bouillette. OPENING IN SELECT THEATRES AND ON VOD JANUARY 14TH.