This is not a bad film - with food prepared in such a grand setting as the Elysee Palace, we have the right ingredients for a movie of interesting visuals, but apart from this, everything else about "Haute Cuisine" is fairly lacklustre. Catherine Frot is terrific as chef Hortense but only within the context of her description and preparation of food. We learn very little about her and perhaps the chief reason being that this movie is virtually without a plot - despite initially foreboding deep conflict and resentment from other kitchen staff (entirely male), this is barely alluded to let alone shown. The flash-forwards to Hortense's next job at an outpost in Antarctica does very little to propel either plot or characterisation. I kept waiting for this side-story to shine some relevance on either plot or character but it failed to do so. The meetings between chef and president were very few and again, little was learnt from the conversations apart from the president's preference for simple, old-style cooking. I think viewers will be disappointed that this film promised understandable conflict of character and style and failed to deliver.
Having said this, the film can still be enjoyed as an interesting expose on a style of cooking and its preparation.
Having said this, the film can still be enjoyed as an interesting expose on a style of cooking and its preparation.