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".
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (Blu-ray) (1989)
7.7/10
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
The Dinner Game (1998)
Director: Francis Veber
Starring: Thierry Lhermitte, Jacques Villeret, Daniel Prevost, Alexandra Vandernoot
Laughter is the main course in this acclaimed Gallic farce. Snide publisher Thierry Lhermitte delights in attending dinner parties where he and his so... Read more
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
8/10
Director: Luis Bunuel
Starring: Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Bulle Ogier
Luis Bunuel's classic satire is filled with savage wit and some of the director's most surrealistic images. Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig and Stephane... Read more
The Green Butchers (2003)
7.3/10
Director: Anders Thomas Jensen
Starring: Mads Mikkelsen, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Line Kruse, Bodil Jorgensen, Ole Thestrup, Nic...
A dark cannibal comedy from Denmark where two affable losers have opened a butcher's shop. Considering their lack of business know-how, the venture se... Read more
The Halo Effect (2004)
5.8/10
Director: Lance Daly
Starring: Stephen Rea, Grattan Smith, Kerry Condon, Simon Delaney, Fiona O'Shaughnessy, Ge...
Stephen Rea plays Fatso, owner of one of the worst takeaways in Dublin. His heart is in the right place, but a gambling addiction means keeping his he... Read more
The Last Supper (1995)
6.8/10
Director: Stacy Title
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Ron Eldard, Annabeth Gish, Courtney B Vance, Bill Paxton, Nora Dun...
Darkly comic satire in which five liberal graduate students share their weekly dinner together with a racist red neck who threatens them. After they k... Read more
The Lunchbox (2013)
7.8/10
Director: Ritesh Batra
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur
A good old-fashioned romance that has charmed cinema audiences worldwide, "The Lunchbox" sees a mistaken delivery in Mumbai's famously efficient lunch... Read more
The Secret of the Grain (2007)
7.4/10
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche
Starring: Alice Houri, Hafsia Herzi, Abdelhamid Aktouche, Habib Boufares, Faridah Benkheta...
Aka 'Couscous'. The winner of four Cesar awards, including Best Picture and Director, Abdellatif Kechiche's 'The Secret of the Grain' is a stirring dr... Read more
The Spitfire Grill (1996)
6.9/10
Director: Lee David Zlotoff
Starring: Alison Elliott, Ellen Burstyn, Marcia Gay Harden
An ex-con tries to restart her life in a small marine town where she raises a few suspicions but more importantly, helps the women who run the local d... Read more
The Trip to Italy (2014)
6.6/10
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Starring: Steve Coogan, Rob Brydon
The trip is back for a whole new slate of impression competitions. Filmmaker Michael Winterbottom reteams with comedy duo Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon... Read more