Film: Haute cuisine

I think the film is trying to convey the idea of challenging authority and the status quo of society. And what gives Hortense the power to challenge the authority is the power of her regional cuisine, it brings back the childhood memory of the president, and this unlocks the social hierarchy, making her able to have access to the president. It’s a “Foodie film” because it is controversial on which cuisine is more superior, and how different cooking techniques are illustrated in the film. It brings out questions such as whether people are poor in the regional area, and does that have a negative impact on the cuisine because of the limited ingredients they have and limited cooking techniques. The film also shows people’s stereotypical view about women in the past, chefs in the palace sexualised Hortense for calling her a mistress. In “Writing out of the Kitchen”, Careme created a strict and rigid system of culinary practice, and this can be duplicated by any other people as long as they follow the rules closely, this shows the lack of flexibility in French cuisine in the past, and this may also explain why chefs in the palace are so confrontational when Hortense serve the president such simple dishes, serving him cabbages in the very first meal. But the film is also a bit double-sided, it shows both the idea of conservative, as in bringing out tradition, Hortense not willing to listen to other chefs’ suggestions, and progressive, as in how the president accept eating regional dishes rather than just haute cuisine.