LIVE, LEARN, & LOVE SERIES #95. The Taste of Things (film, 2023)

Do you take delight in watching films, listening to pop music, or reading books? For English learners, movies, songs, and books are one of the most wonderful sources to explore the language! You can indulge in your favorite pastime and still learn some expressions, words of wisdom, and oftentimes good lessons while you’re at it.

 

#95. The Taste of Things (film, 2023)

This is the story of Eugénie, a talented cook, and Dodin, the renowned gourmet she has worked with for more than 20 years. The film portrays love as something richer and more meaningful than banal romance, built upon 20 years of sharing meals, cooking together, and marveling at gastronomic breakthroughs. Their romance inspires extraordinary dishes that amaze even the world's finest chefs. But when Eugénie hesitates to commit, Dodin sets out to win her heart through his cooking. 

(Dodin said): “Happiness is desiring what you already have.”

ð  Dodin shows his personal philosophy about happiness here,. It suggests that real happiness comes from cherishing and rediscovering the people and blessings already in our lives instead of always seeking something new. As Dodin’s longtime cook and companion of over twenty years, Eugénie treasures her independence and refuses his marriage proposals, she remains a constant source of admiration and mystery to him. When he asks, "But you, have I ever had you?" he reveals that love continues to grow through appreciation rather than possession. Like its exquisite cuisine, the film reminds us that life's greatest joys come not from chasing novelty all the time, but from giving our fullest care and attention to the simple, meaningful moments already before us.

 

“What you lose in taste, you gain in color. Before, the flavor was stronger and coarser, now it's more subtle.”

ð     These lines show great cooking evolves from being bold and heavy to becoming delicate, balanced, and beautifully simple. We could think of the way of cooking process as a metaphor for growth in art, love, and life, where true beauty is found in quiet refinement rather than dramatic display. In other words, real mastery comes from removing what is unnecessary, allowing subtlety and harmony to shine. Like a chef perfecting a timeless recipe, love also matures over time, evolving from youthful intensity into a deeper, calmer connection. This philosophy is melted in the film's graceful, unhurried storytelling, letting each scene unfold with quiet elegance.

 

(Beaubois, one of Dodin Bouffant's inner circle of food connoisseurs, said) “Man is the only animal that drinks without thirst. Wine is the intellectual side of a meal; Meat and vegetables, the material side. Worse than hunger is not knowing when you'll eat.”

ð     This Food is more than a basic need—it enriches life. Sharing meals and enjoying wine turn eating into moments of joy, connection, and meaningful conversation. While food nourishes the body, these shared experiences also feed the mind and spirit. Cooking becomes an act of creativity and love, reminding us that life is about more than simply surviving.

 

(Eugene said): “I’m in the summer of my life. And when I leave, it will still be summer.”

ð     This is the scene where Eugénie is expressing her honest feelings against what Dodin says about the phase in life they are entering. It is far more than a remark about age—it is a declaration of how she experiences life, love, and the human spirit. The conversation begins when Dodin reflects that they are entering the "autumn" of their lives, a poetic acknowledgment that they have reached their later years which can be considered as the gentle approach of life's final season. Dodin accepts this reality with quiet resignation. On the contrary, Eugénie refuses to see herself through the same lens. With calm confidence, she replies, "Speak for yourself. I'm in the summer of my life. And when I leave, it will still be summer."

She is not denying death or pretending it will never come. Instead, she expresses a serene acceptance that death cannot erase the fullness with which she has lived. Her inner summer is not a temporary season determined by age or physical decline; it is a state of being that transcends mortality. Even when her body is gone, the warmth she has created—the love she has shared, the meals she has prepared, and the joy she has inspired—will continue to live in the hearts of those she leaves behind.

 

 

 

** Jean’s Small Thoughts:

I love this film not because I see it as a story primarily about feminism, but because it reminds us to experience every moment of life as if it were our one precious opportunity to embrace joy and meaning. Rather than dwelling on the passage of time, the film celebrates the richness of being fully alive.

Every meal she prepares reflects this inner vitality. I would say and completely agree on her thoughts in that cooking is not merely a domestic task; it is a language of love, artistic expression, and quiet celebration of existence. Through every carefully chosen ingredient, every delicate flavor, and every beautifully presented dish, we transform ordinary nourishment into moments of beauty and intimacy. Like Eugénie, I believe that a rich life is not defined by grand accomplishments but by our ability to inhabit ordinary moments with extraordinary attention. The simplest rituals—preparing a meal, sharing a conversation, or appreciating the beauty of nature—become deeply meaningful when we are fully present.

In this sense, I also see eye to eye with Dodin's observation that "happiness is continuing to desire what we already have." Rather than dwelling on what is missing or endlessly pursuing what lies beyond our reach, genuine contentment comes from cherishing the blessings already before us. His words remind us that fulfillment is not found in constant acquisition but in cultivating gratitude for the life we are already living. Together, Eugénie and Dodin offer a timeless philosophy: joy is born not from having more, but from loving more deeply what we already possess.

As long as one continues to embrace love, beauty, generosity, and wonder, the heart can remain forever in summer, regardless of age. Even after life ends, I believe that the warmth of a life (fully lived) continues to illuminate others, much like the lingering glow of a summer sunset after the sun has disappeared below the horizon.