Vatel: Movie Critique

The movie highlights the Royal lifestyle of the French king, and it is so clear that one can relive the 17th-century style easily. For instance, visualizing the costumes of that era is not easy, but the use of jewels and stones on the dresses of mistresses in the movie evokes the old French art and culture. Furthermore, the cinematography and art direction are impressive because transforming ancient times into a 103-minute film was a marvellous job in 2000. Moreover, French cuisine is eye-catching - the texture, colour, delicacies, and varieties of fruits and vegetables. It explains the importance of food and culture simultaneously. Vatel is not just a chef but also an artist. His drive to create the dishes innovative, the beautiful decor at the banquet and the entertainment at the water fountain is evident throughout the movie. The main point of view in the film reveals the problem of the patronage system in society. From the beginning of the first day, Vatel faces different challenges to impress the king. His task of providing luxurious services to around 2000 people was a failure, and that is the main reason for his death as he did not want to face public humiliation. This film also sheds light on the lower class's everyday struggle in the unfair society under King Louis XIV.However, the film shows the food and the big costumes but nothing else.  If a person does not find the story of "Vatel" interesting, he will still be engaging with the film because of the food shot in it. However, in my opinion, the film's background music score is not that much impressive as it fails the audience to jump out of their seats.