blackpencil I think this movie is a noir very very interesting. The plot and the subject are originally and don't repeat only the same clichés of thriller. The relation between two men is very dangerous and take a way unsuspectingly. This movie is not perfect but is absolutely TO SEE for hungry cinephiles...The shot of the murder of Delamont, with the low angle fixed on the hand's detail with the knife use to clean the fish it's enough to justify the price of the ticket.

Lechuguilla Bernard Giraudeau plays Frederic Delamont, a wealthy, and eccentric, middle aged man who hires Nicolas Riviere, a waiter in an upscale restaurant, to be his "taster". It's a premise that is at least unusual, if not downright unique. Delamont has phobias for certain foods, especially fish and cheese. It's up to Nicolas to shield Delamont from these offensive foods.As the story unfolds, Nicolas, who has a girlfriend and seems reasonably well adjusted, becomes gradually more ensnared into Delamont's life, to the dismay of the girlfriend. But the perks are nice for Nicolas, so he continues. It's a trap, though, and the question becomes: can Nicolas escape the trap before it's too late.Although the film's premise is interesting, the plot is slow going, and at times tedious. I'm baffled at Delamont's motivations. He's a powerful businessman who can presumably pull the strings of any number of employees or business associates. Why does he feel the need to control someone in his personal life? I would think his impulse would be the exact opposite.In any event, this psycho-drama has a "spider and fly" quality to it. The screen story is told in flashbacks, which makes the film confusing, at the beginning. The acting is quite good, overall.Ultimately though, I just could not identify with the characters in this film. They seemed too remote and too thinly drawn to care about. And the film's dry plot quickly becomes tiresome and dull.

dbrookfield Critically acclaimed by some, but why? More slow paced eurodrama that goes absolutely nowhere hanging on by the barest thread of pseudo-intellectual underpinning. Totally preposterous plot. Every chance to spice up this supposed psychological "thriller" was passed over.

deming This movie isn't a whodunit, since we know from the start pretty much what happens--it's just a question of WHY? And the movie answered that question to my satisfaction. Interesting and plausible psychologically, and the food presentations woven throughout are mouth-watering. Best of all to a non-native French speaker, I found it fairly easy to understand all the dialogue.