176 replies to this topic

[Elizabeth Clauser]

Maybe a little lame, but Ratatouille.

Also, Like Water for Chocolate, Babette's Feast, and Tampopo

[Prawncrackers]

Tampopo is one of my faves but warning: do not watch it with the family after the xmas meal, one scene is definitely not suitable!!

[MartinGill]

Tampopo and Babette's feast, the latter is one of my perfect Christmas films (just avoid one of the dubbed versions)

[SaladFingers]

A brilliant food related film, directed by Alex Cox, is Three Businessmen.

I've always wanted to watch My Dinner with Andre too because I've heard it's good, though difficult to get your hands on.

[Peter the eater]

So you are looking for a food movie to slobber over during the holidays?

There's not much new to DVD that I'm aware of -- "No Reservations" is alright. Aaron Eckhart was even better in "The Dark Knight" but there's not much food there. You may need to go to the classics, many of which have been mentioned.

The best film of 2008 (according to me) has an important food theme, but it's not what you're looking for . . . so I think I'll post it over here.

[Peter the eater]

The overall best movie of 2008, according to me, has an important food theme. It's a dystopic and subtly depressing comment on Western food and culture, more like "Supersize Me" than the enticing movies listed here. This year I'm going with "WALL*E" from PIXAR, which is a big step for me because "Cars" is just about the worst I've ever had the misfortune of seeing.

[food1]

Ratatouille, a great little flick!

[rohandaft]

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
All you need to know about what should and shouldn't go into Spanish gazpacho.

[azzar]

Ratatouille, a great little flick!

what about Cous-cous? Is it any good?

[Jaymes]

I don't think anyone has mentioned this one:

Woman On Top, with Penelope Cruz

Speaking of Penelope Cruz, how about Volver? Cruz, certainly a yummy little number all by herself, enlists the help of the entire neighborhood in order to take over a defunct restaurant.

Terrific movie, I thought.

[Tim Hayward]

Dinner Rush.

Always makes me nostalgic for working in restaurants.

[Toufas]

waiting is good

[naebody]

"No Reservations" is alright. here.

Saw it on a plane once. I'd rather gouge my eyes out with sharpened cutlery than repeat the experience.

Vote one for Meaning of Life.

[Peter the eater]

"No Reservations" is alright. here.

Saw it on a plane once. I'd rather gouge my eyes out with sharpened cutlery than repeat the experience.

Vote one for Meaning of Life.

I don't care to see "No Reservations" again either, but instead of self-mutilation, I recommend watching the original version "Bella Martha (2001)".

Mr. Creosote is a classic.

[baroness]

I don't care to see "No Reservations" again either, but instead of self-mutilation, I recommend watching the original version "Bella Martha (2001)".

AKA "Mostly Martha"

[alex chef]

La grande bouffe is a current fave, but the cook the thief his wife and her lover is an all time classic.

[Jaymes]

I mentioned Frida in one of the two other "Food Movie" threads, Movies & Food, but the Christmas connection in this one got me to thinking.

This year, I'm going to give a friend a copy of the movie, along with the cookbook Frida's Fiestas: Recipes & Reminiscences of Life with Frida Kahlo

So after my friend sees all that sumptuous food in the movie, she can make some sumptuous food of her own!

Edited by Jaymes, 05 December 2008 - 09:36 AM.

[Peter the eater]

Here are two fine films that feature honey as subject and metaphor: Ulee's Gold (1997) and more recently The Secret Life of Bees (2008). That last one has Joy Luck Club power to make surly men cry.

[emilyr]

Last weekend I volunteered again for the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, MO. It's a fest dedicated to documentaries (I mentioned it upthread, too). This year, the film I really looked forward to was Pressure Cooker. It's the story of three Philadelphia high school seniors who take part in a culinary arts program and competition for scholarships, aided along the way by their fierce teacher Wilma Stephenson. That link takes you to TakePart.com which has a lot more info on the film and C-CAP, the culinary arts program that provides scholarships to high schoolers. It's a great movie. See it if you get a chance!

[mjc]

I saw this movie at Slow Food Nation this past Labor Day weekend. It was very good. The teacher is quite a tough woman, and I don't know how I would do with her as my teacher, but she does an amazing job with her students. The culinary art program competition they do is really interesting, I had no idea that something like that existed.

[Rover]

Dinner with Friends (Dennis Quaid & Andie MacDowell) who play food writers. Some terrific food and cooking scenes. I can never really decide if I thought this movie was good. I've seen it several times and feel differently about it with each viewing.

Rover

[eatenmess]

ratatouille is an awesome film. gets my vote.
waiting is goodish though the follow is the typical follow up and has crushed my opinion of the first one.

sideways is a wine film but got to love it, its quality stuff.

i cant believe no ones mentioned spanglish food done by Thomas Keller (same with ratatouille) really good film. well i enjoyed it anyway.

[Peter the eater]

ratatouille is an awesome film. gets my vote.
waiting is goodish though the follow is the typical follow up and has crushed my opinion of the first one.

sideways is a wine film but got to love it, its quality stuff.

i cant believe no ones mentioned spanglish food done by Thomas Keller (same with ratatouille) really good film. well i enjoyed it anyway.

I love Sideways. "Are you chewing gum" is a classic line which I try to use as often as possible.

Haven't seen Spanglish but I think I should.

Evidently, Keller's cameo in Ratatouille is done by Guy Savoy in the French language release, and by Ferran Adrià in the Spanish one.

[Jmahl]

I would like to suggest the French film with the English title "The Secret of the Grain" by the director Abdelatif Kechiche. Its French title is "La graine et le mulet." Its about, food, family, love, betrayal and great belly dancing, what else do you need?

[ldubois2]

Babette's Feast for sure, Diner, Tortilla Soup...not fond of the plot but the food prep was great.

[Kafka Zola]

Lot of great movies listed here but my all-time favorite was Louis de Funes' 1970s film about an irascible, egomaniacal restaurant critic who is the head of a Michelin-like group. The name of the film is "L'Aile Ou la Cuisse" (don't know what the US/American name is) and it changed me and my life when I saw it at 5 years of age. From that time onwards, I knew my passion for was food and I wanted nothing more than to be a restaurant critic (which I never became, but still... that film was HUGE for many kids of my generation).

So, if you guys haven't seen it and can find a Version 1 (US-version) copy, then SEE it!!!

Also, in terms of hugely unknown, rarely mentioned but fantastic food movies: "Who Killed the Great Chefs of Europe." God, I love that film. So, so fun!

Mostly Martha, Stanley Tucci's film, Babette's Feast, and several others are super, but for some reason, nothing will ever come close to Louis de Funes' film for me.

[violetfox]

I just watched - and loved - "The Ramen Girl." Brittany Murphy was pretty wonderful, and the film does make me a little sad.