Vatel (2000)

Vatel: Directed by Roland Joffé. With Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Julian Glover. Vatel is the cook of Prince Condé. When the prince invites Louis XIV to hunt, he has to give lavish banquets in order to fall in his favor. But when Vatel falls in love with the king’s mistress, love and duty come into conflict.

“I simply never get enough of this film. Itu0026#39;s one of the few that I have to re-watch, every so often.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNow, one of the things that struck me most strongly was the fact of Vatel and Anneu0026#39;s goodness — this, in spite of where Louisu0026#39; example might have led them — with the people who worked with them.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe scenes with Vatel and Colin; with Anne and Louise… especially the one where Louise drops the vase that Vatel sent to Anne (and Anne says u0026quot;Itu0026#39;s alright, Louise… itu0026#39;s alrightu0026quot;) … these are made almost painfully beautiful by the contrasting scenes with the aristocrats running amok.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut, Vatelu0026#39;s words come back to me here: u0026quot;Harmony and Contrast — All beauty comes from those two thingsu0026quot;.”