Set in France in 1889, the film follows the life of Dodin Bouffant as a chef living with his personal cook and lover Eugenie. They share a long history of gastronomy and love, but Eugenie refuses to marry Dodin, so the food lover decides to do something he has never done before: cook for her.

For in-depth thoughts on The Taste of Things, please see my colleague Brandon Lewis’s review from its theatrical debut here.

Video Quality

The Taste of Things comes to Blu-Ray in a fetching 1080p presentation that brings the feature to life without issue. The film provides a gorgeous, warm aesthetic to the color palette which renders wonderfully in high definition. Numerous hues impress with the depth and complexity of the shade, and skin tones are natural throughout the ensemble. The transfer reveals texture within the clothing, facial features, and, perhaps most importantly, the culinary delights that add respectable depth and immediacy to the picture. Highlights are handled impeccably with no semblance of blooming, and the black levels are deep and do not falter with any crush or compression artifacts. There is the slightest bit of banding in a few shots. The transfer handles virtually every aspect with the utmost care. IFC Films has done a fabulous job with this release.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray disc comes with a faithful DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that easily captures the sonic nuances of this story. The sound design is not overly bombastic, but each noise adds to a world that has a distinct identity. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever being overshadowed by competing sounds. Environmental subtleties enrich the soundscape to give the world of the kitchen some evocative qualities. There is some texture to the low end, but that is not the standout aspect of this journey. Nothing falls short with the audio portion of the disc. The film is presented in the original French with optional English and English SDH subtitles.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Film critic James Marsh provides a commentary track in which he discusses the work of director Trần Anh Hùng, the book from which the film was adapted, the background of the performers, and much more.

Introduction: An optional 25-second introduction to the film from actress Juliette Binoche and director Trần Anh Hùng.

Booklet: A multi-page booklet is provided featuring an essay from film critic Kenji Fujishima that provides some great context to the feature.

Final Thoughts

The Taste of Things is a delight for the senses, the camera lovingly capturing the process of creating nourishing dishes as the sounds emerge from the speakers to make you feel as if you are a sous chef in the kitchen. The movie does not simply linger on food as a means of exploiting our inherent love to consume, but rather it pays respect to the importance of food and its utility as a means of connection with others. The movie falls just a bit short of exploding with the emotions that we may seek, but it still stands firmly as a terrific cinematic experience. IFC Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a great A/V presentation and a couple of welcome supplements. Recommended

The Taste of Things is currently available to purchase on Standard Edition Blu-Ray or with a Limited Edition Slipcover exclusively through Vinegar Syndrome/OCN Distribution.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: IFC Films & OCN Distribution have supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.