I love food.
I mean I love love love love LOVE food!
I love growing it, foraging it, cooking it, putting together giant feasts for my family and friends, and most definitely eating it.
Because of this, I also love food movies. The sheer number that I have…ahem…consumed over the years is crazy.
Of course there have been a lot of ones that missed the mark. Either they were depressing, took themselves too seriously, were too fluffy, they tried too hard, or they didn’t try hard enough. But among the dross are so many deliciously wonderful ones.
If you are a food movie fan, I recommend these three to start with. If you have already watched them, it’s time to dig them out again. They are all worth repeated viewings.
Chef
Critics complained that this was a vanity piece, because Jon Favreau both created and starred in it.
Frankly, I couldn’t care less that he was the star, the director, the writer, and the producer. As far as I’m concerned he could have been the janitor, the entire film crew, and the choreographer too if he wanted.
All that mattered was that in the end the movie was wonderful.
I’m a practical girl, and don’t get easily swept away by follow-your-dreams plot lines, but Chef had me passionately rooting for him, while wondering if my life calling is to open a food truck.
I also loved that when he got back to the food that made him happy, that it wasn’t fancy highbrow status symbol stuff. It was simple food, the kind that brings pleasure and satisfaction.
Though the best part was watching him communicate love to his family members, both through food and the act of preparing it.
It made my heart happy.
Chocolat
This was probably my first food movie I bought after I got married and set up household.
It was definitely my children’s first food movie, and they watched it many times growing up.
You would think with such a big name cast, that it would either be a flashy Hollywood spectacle, or some deep and depressing passion project. But it has an almost quirky small project feel.
It made me desperately want to learn how to make chocolate.
Juliette Binoche saves it from feeling like an American story set in France. But no surprise there, as she’s always incredible.
But the sets and the food photography steal the spotlight.
This is on the short list of most visually beautiful movies I’ve ever seen (along with Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Memoirs of a Geisha, and The Red Violin).
It doesn’t just make you want to cook, it makes you want to have food experiences.
Julie and Julia
I’ve watched the movie many times and read the book once. I honestly prefer the movie, as there is a lot less cussing, and the Hollywood polishing of the story was well done.
It is a classic quest story, which explains why the blog that it is based on took off so much, and why the book and movie versions were so popular. Everyone wants to root for an underdog trying to do something big.
But what makes this movie shine is how by the time you get to the end, you passionately want to grab a cookbook and start cooking your way through it.
It feels like a project that would be both emotionally and gastronomically satisfying.
This movie is not as heavy on the mouth-watering food photography that I adore so much, but the passionate way that Julie looks at food rings true for me.
Plus, I’m a huge Julia child’s fan, so I have to feel loyalty towards another fangirl.
If you haven’t had a chance to see all of these, I highly recommend them for movie night at your house. Every one of them brings me joy, and like food, joy is meant to be shared.
