Image: Panda Film
The term comes from the Japanese and describes a taste that is described as meaty, spicy, and tasty.
“Umami” is also the original title of the movie “The Taste of Small Things” with two French stars: Gérard Depardieu (74) and Pierre Richard (88).
Haute cuisine and a search for meaning
Depardieu gives celebrity chef Gabriel Carvin. His posh restaurant gets the prestigious third star, but his wife’s (Sandrine Bonnaire) cheating and a heart attack throw him off course.
After his recovery, he wants to decipher the secret of umami in Japan. A journey with very, very many ingredients. Directed by Frenchman Slony Sow, a story develops that deals with haute cuisine and its burdens, but also with the search for meaning.
In addition to the parallel narrative tracks, the film also creates slowing-down side scenes (e.g. with Carvin’s youngest son). Strictly speaking, Richard’s performance as Carvin’s eccentric boyfriend would have been lame. Sow probably wanted to please the audience with this, but Depardieu and he did inspire in the comedies “The Horny Ox and His Draft Horse” (1981), “Two Crazy Jokes” (1983) and “The Fugitives” (1986).
The role is tailor-made for winemaker and leisure cook Depardieu. For a long time she seems rather unsympathetic, but in the second half an amusing feel-good film develops. (SG)
The taste of small things: F/JP 2022 107 mins,
OÖN rating:
- The trailer for the film:
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: Nachrichten
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
