Written by Linda
March 02, 2009
An annoying, and a bit dorky businessman slowly works his way into an arty crowd that is too cool for him, but they end up wearing down and finally accepting him. This mirrored my response to The Taste of Others itself. Despite my initial reluctance towards getting into the film (after the first few scenes, I inwardly asked myself, "Why do I see French films? Why? Why???"), the characters started to grow on me. But the end, I kinda got used to them, and kinda liked them.
The Taste of Others is an ensemble piece. There is the "twit" (direct translation!) of a businessman Castella (Jean-Pierre Bacri) who falls for a struggling stage actress Carla (Anne Alvaro). There is also the story of Castella's bodyguard Frank and driver Bruno, who both fall for a bartender (Agnès Jaoui) who works at the pub where all the characters cross paths. These characters all struggle through their menial lives and relationships. Though certainly none are noble, they are all three-dimensional and sympathetic.
A standout in the excellent cast is Jean-Pierre Bacri. His dim-bulb, dull businessman Castella slowly blossoms into a man awakened to a second lease on life when he falls for Carla. Despite the fact that she repeats spurns his advances, you can see him grow and become a better, more interesting person because of their relationship. He embodies the dork in all of us, and gives hope for the "regular" guy (or gal) who just wants to hang out with people who have a more interesting life than his own.
If you can get past the slow start, The Taste of Others evolves into quite a heart-warming gentle comedy. By the end, you may want to adopt these people into the fold of your own dysfunctional social circle.
