The movie
Umami
France's leading chef throws himself into a quest seeking the flavor that has confounded his life since he was defeated by a Japanese chef's bowl of noodles as a young man.
Length: 92 min
Country: France
Language spoken: French, Japanese
Language subtitles: Dutch
Cast: Gérard Depardieu, Pierre Richard, Kyôzô Nagatsuka, Rod Paradot, Sandrine Bonnaire,
Eriko Takeda, Zinedine Soualem
Director: Slony Sow
Release date: 06/06/2023
Description
Gabriel Carvin (Gérard Depardieu) receives his third Michelin star as France's leading chef. Where other chefs would be deliriously happy, Gabriel is the opposite, especially after his wife (Sandrine Bonnaire) announces that she is leaving him. In desperation, Gabriel turns to hypnosis, which causes him to suddenly remember a loss in a culinary contest from years ago and to embark on a quest for the elusive fifth taste (after sweet, sour, salty, and bitter) known in Asian cuisine as umami. This quest takes him to Japan where he reacquaints himself with why he became a chef in the first place—and discovers friendship and the meaning of happiness at the same time.
After an argument at a dinner about what exactly umami (Japanese for ‘delicious’) actually is, director Slony Sow conceived of the film with Gérard Depardieu in mind to play the questing chef. The hulking legend is at his loosest and most freewheeling here.
After an argument at a dinner about what exactly umami (Japanese for ‘delicious’) actually is, director Slony Sow conceived of the film with Gérard Depardieu in mind to play the questing chef. The hulking legend is at his loosest and most freewheeling here.
