The Taste of Others
(2000)
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The Taste of Others
(2000)
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| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
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Anne Alvaro | ... |
Clara Devaux
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| Jean-Pierre Bacri | ... |
Jean-Jacques Castella
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| Alain Chabat | ... |
Bruno Deschamps
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| Agnès Jaoui | ... |
Manie
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| Gérard Lanvin | ... |
Franck Moreno
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Christiane Millet | ... |
Angélique
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Wladimir Yordanoff | ... |
Antoine
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Anne Le Ny | ... |
Valérie, l'habilleuse
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Brigitte Catillon | ... |
Béatrice Castella
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Raphaël Dufour | ... |
Benoît
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Xavier De Guillebon | ... |
Weber
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Camille Andraca |
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Céline Arnaud | ... |
Virginie
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Robert Bacri | ... |
Le père de Castella
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Marie Agnès Brigot | ... |
La secrétaire de Castella
(as Marie-Agnès Brigot)
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Three men, three women, opposites, possibilities, and tastes. Castella owns a industrial steel barrel plant in Rouen; Bruno is his flute-playing driver, Franck is his temporary bodyguard while he negotiates a contract with Iranians, his wife Angélique does frou-frou interior decorating and loves her dog. The conventional Castella hires a forty-year-old actress, Clara, to tutor him in English, and he finds her and her Bohemian lifestyle fascinating. Is this love? What would she say if he declared himself? Through Bruno, Franck meets Manie, a barmaid who deals hash. They begin an affair. Are they in love? They joke about marriage. As the women hold back, the men must make decisions. Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
A slice of potentially real French life, elegantly portrayed with the believable people ('characters' is the wrong word) being eminently watchable. It's a witty comedy that plays as a tragedy. The excellent screenplay reveals itself hesitantly, but that is the charm. The audience joins the story in the middle and leaves it before the end. The subtle everyday conflict of clashing tastes born of different beliefs - and no few prejudices - may seem rather boring plot compared with the latest Hollywood caper, but it leaves a magnificent impression of social relevance. And if you have not experienced the culture of everyday France, pay attention to the focal point the cafe takes. A word of praise to the two main architects: co-author (Agnes Jaoui) who directs herself as the barmaid (Manie) and her coauthor (Jean-Pierre Bacri) who writes himself the somewhat awful role of Castella. I must look out for their other works.