2023 Telluride Film Festival – Day 3 – ‘The Taste of Things,’ ‘All of Us Strangers’ and ‘Baltimore’

Formerly known by the title, Pot-au-feu but now titled The Taste of Things the latest from Vietnamese-French writer-director Anh Hung Tran wasn’t listed in the official schedule, but rather was sprung on us as a rare “Sneak Peak” as Telluride is want to do from time to time. What a surprise this one was. I’ve always been a sucker for food movies, especially ones where the food is allowed to be as much of a star as the drama. With a deft hand and subtle storytelling techniques, Tran has created an intimate world totally revolving around food, the chef, and his head cook. Food is sensual, visceral, and enticing. So is the intricate intermingling of flavors of attraction and independence effortlessly massaged between the fabulous performances of the two leads Juliet Binoche as the cook and Benoît Magimel as the chef.

The artistry of the cinematography and incredibly well-executed sound show off the beauty of food and intimacy in equal measure. Languid, sumptuous and perfectly seasoned in all aspects, this film is a delight to all the senses and emotions. Attention to detail and accuracy of portrayal is spot on. A real-life consummate chef confided that the kitchens are perfectly represented down to the background sounds she’s used to in her own well-honed kitchen. That attention to detail is imbued in all aspects of the production by the deft eye of Tran. I marveled time and again at how perfect the imagery and lighting were, even though the representation was fitting with the period with light and shadow sources from windows and candles. Almost a painterly hand, no distraction yet, appealing to the eye yet exceedingly difficult to pull off.

This film left me wanting more. I want more films from Anh Hung Tran but will savor this one until the next course arrives.

Imagine the kid from The Sixth Sense grew up queer. That’s not how the filmmakers describe their film but that’s the impression I felt while watching All of Us Strangers. A ghost story told in an unusual way, a simple tale of fear, love, and loss plays out in quiet scenes of internal reverie and contemplation, or so it might seem. Andrew Scott holds the emotional core of this film as the lonely writer, yearning for connection, with human companionship and with his long-dead parents. His strained solutions are played out in twisted and amorphous scenes where the lines between reality and internal yearnings lose all borders. What’s real, what’s imagination are questions that eventually lose all meaning as you are brought into Scott’s interactions with the strong supporting cast of Paul Mescal as a new acquaintance and Jamie Bell and Claire Foy as the long-dead parents.

The film is a journey and though I’m not quite sure it takes you anywhere definite, it certainly is a ride. I think Chloé Zhao summed it up best in the Q&A, “This is a film about love!” And really, with love, you don’t need much more.

No, not that Baltimore. The original one. This was a film that, though I’m glad to have seen it, I’m not sure it achieves what it sets out to in the best way possible. The subject matter of artist-filmmaker duo Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor is the real-life art heist masterminded by Rose Dugdale in an ill-fated attempt to free Irish political prisoners in exchange for the 19 priceless paintings stolen. Rose made plenty of mistakes in her choices after the theft which led to her capture only days later, failing to achieve her goals. Unfortunately, Molloy and Lawlor made choices that similarly hamper the film from achieving all it could. The chosen technique of telling the tale in numerous flashbacks, though stylistic, tended to rob the audience of suspense as to what the outcome would be. And mixing imagined actions alongside real ones without clear differentiation left the audience either confused or not caring about the details.

The subject matter of the time period is important history, especially to those with connections to the era and area. I, having neither, found myself much less invested in the outcome, or rooting for the characters in any fashion. And in the end, I’m not sure any new insight into Rose Dugdale can be gleaned since, as admitted, the only adherence to historical accuracy was their claim their research was only “just what’s on Google.”

It’s a pity that this film will likely not find a broader audience than those solidly connected to the events or heritage laced into the films being. I wanted to like it more, but, felt indifferent after viewing.

So I left that screening to contemplate everything I saw on this day while imbibing in a little drink and enjoying a little nosh and conversation. Don’t worry, I didn’t stay out too late. I have more articles to write from Telluride.