The Taste of Things, Wicked Little Letters and Lisa Frankenstein

 

In an 1880's country chateau, Juliette Binoche (Eugenie)  and Benoit Maginel (Dodin) spend their time cooking. But not just any old recipes but what we would now call cordon bleu. But they only seem to serve their friends? So it is not a restaurant. Where does all their money come from I asked myself. It turns out that Dodin has inherited wealth. So they even have assistants in the kitchen. So in The Taste of Things we watch the making of some wonderful delights, it's Eugenie who is the magician. There is no music as she prepares the food, the opening sequence of just that is a dizzying 35 minutes. For so little plot, I have never known a film go so quickly. The cinematography and editing are awesome. Tran Anh Hung has made a brilliant love story out of the love of food. I remember the turbot and the sauces. Do their wealthy friends contribute? We will never know, but that is not what the film wants us to remember.

Here we are in Littlehampton in the 1020's. Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley lead a stellar cast in this adaptation of a true story. There is someone sending anonymous cruel filthy letters. So it is actually a whodunit. Here is the cream of British acting talent including Eileen Atkins at 89 years old, Gemma Jones, Timothy Spall, Jason Watkins, Joanna Scanlon, Hugh Skinner and Lolly Adefope, who we loved in Ghosts. But strangely, head and shoulders above them all comes young Anjana Vasan as Police Officer Gladys Moss. Critic Peter Bradshaw called it depressing, but I thought the whole cast was having fun, and it showed. All down to director Thea Sharrock. Wicked Little Letters a  serious story, but done for amusement. I enjoyed it. 

Oh Diablo, what are you doing these days. Juno, Jennifer's Body, Young Adult were all great. I missed Paradise and thought that Ricki and The Flash was OK. Tully was back to form so I had high hopes for Lisa Frankenstein, especially as Diablo's name leads on the poster. Although Tom Shone in the Sunday Times only gave it one star and Mark Kermode thought very few would go to see it even though he thought it was OK. First of all this is not a horror movie. Yes, there were the odd gory bits but these were more amusing than anything else. Kathryn Newton as Lisa Swallows was actually really good and holds the film together even though at twenty seven she was playing someone nearly ten years younger! There were the odd references to Cody's previous films but mostly the story was all pretty obvious. It tried to be funny and occasionally it was. The soundtrack was one of the best things about the film. The one great moment was when the monster plays the piano and Lisa sings along to REO Speedwagon's "Can't Fight This Feeling".  It was interesting that the movie had a visual of Melies' "A Trip to the Moon" at the very beginning and end. Just for us film buffs.