Food in Film
Food has often been essential to cinema. A catalyst which brings people together, it can be used for dramatic confrontation, as a comic device or even a metaphor for the meaning of life. Preparing, presenting and consuming food can evoke a mood that is sumptuous, homely, seductive, disgusting or just plain funny. Eloquent in conveying complex messages, food is a perfect vehicle for expressing the subtext in drama and comedy and for revealing intricate aspects about class, emotional states or gender. Sometimes, as in the movies "Babette's Feast" and "Tampopo", it is the real star. In this compilation below, we take the high ground and take a wide view of the social and symbolic meaning of food in film..
Right: Scene from Gabriel Axel's triumphant "Babette's Feast".
Somm (2012)
7/10
Director: Jason Wise
Four sommeliers attempt to pass the prestigious Master Sommelier exam, a test with one of the lowest pass rates in the world. Read more
Soul Kitchen (2009)
7.3/10
Director: Fatih Akin
Starring: Moritz Bleibtreu, Adam Bousdoukos, Birol Unel
Hoping to revamp his shabby Hamburg diner, owner Zinos Kazantsakis (Adam Bousdoukos) hires a gourmet chef, only to drive away his regular patrons. To... Read more
Sour Grapes (2016)
7.3/10
Director: Jerry Rothwell, Reuben Atlas
Documentary about the fine and rare wine auction market centering around a counterfeiter who befriended the rich and powerful and sold millions of dol... Read more
Super Size Me (2004)
7.2/10
Director: Morgan Spurlock
Starring: Morgan Spurlock
What would happen if you were to eat only food from McDonald's for an entire month? That question is answered in this controversial - and wildly enter... Read more
Surfing the Menu - New Zealand (2006)
Director: Rob McLaughlin
Starring: Mark Gardner, Ben O'Donoghue
Surf-mad New Zealand chef Mark Gardner joins Surfing the Menu's regular, Aussie Ben O'Donoghue, on an eight-part food safari of New Zealand. Showcasin... Read more
Tampopo (1986)
7.4/10
Director: Juzo Itami
Starring: Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamakazi, Nobuko Miyamoto
One of the funniest, most enjoyable, satirical comedies is this treasure of a movie, the plot of which, loosely concerns the quest for the perfect Jap... Read more
Tasting Menu (2013)
5.7/10
Director: Roger Gual
Starring: Fionnula Flanagan, Stephen Rea, Togo Igawa, Jan Cornet, Vicenta Noongo, Andrew T...
Set in the idyllic cove of Costa Brava in the Mediterranean, this Spanish culinary romantic comedy tells the story of a broken-up couple who decide to... Read more
The Age of Innocence (1993)
7.2/10
Director: Martin Scorsese
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Winona Ryder
Martin Scorsese revels in ravishing romantic grandeur with a tale of love and denial in 19th Century New York. Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and... Read more
The Biggest Little Farm (2018)
8.1/10
Director: John Chester
Starring: John Chester
Documentarian John Chester and his wife Molly work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles. Read more
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)
Director: Peter Greenaway
Starring: Richard Bohringer, Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, Alan Howard, Tim Roth
A feast (in more ways than one) for followers of writer/director Peter Greenaway's work. Set around a high-class English restaurant, it involves the g... Read more