SC - More on "Vatel"... Oscar nominee.

[Elaine Koogler]

Would you believe:  I not only cannot find it showing anywhere in southern
Maryland (no surprise), but it doesn't appear to have shown anywhere in the
metropolitan DC area!!!!!  I'm really bummed.  I do hope you're right and I may
be able to see it somewhere locally.

Kiri

Huette von Ahrens wrote:

> I know that Vatel only played two weeks in Los Angeles
> and New York.  However, according to the list of Oscar
> nominees, Vatel is up for a "Art Direction" Oscar.  A
> very worthy nominee it is too!  Hopefully, the
> distributors of this film will bring it out again, so
> everyone can see how wonderful it is.  If they do, run
> [don't walk] to see this movie.  You won't regret it.
>
> Huette
>
> --- Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com> wrote:
> > Hullo, the list!
> >
> > I managed to sneak off and see a showing of "Vatel"
> > earlier this
> > evening, and I wish to add my recommendations, such
> > as they are, to
> > Huette's. As I've mentioned before, Vatel is
> > probably the patron saint
> > of the SCA event steward and cook, although a
> > post-period contemporary
> > of people like La Varenne, Digby and Pepys.
> >
> > Most of what is known, historically, about Vatel is
> > the circumstances of
> > his death, which the movie actually obscures a bit
> > in an attempt to
> > flesh out the character, add social and personal
> > motivation to the
> > character in addition to professional ones which are
> > known from
> > contemporary accounts. The film manages to make this
> > bare-bones incident
> > a little more complex, and whether this approach is
> > any closer to the
> > truth I can't say, but I hope that referring to the
> > historical figure in
> > this way hasn't spoiled the movie for anyone.
> >
> > Be that as it may. What I enjoyed most about the
> > film was what appeared
> > to be accurate portrayals of a modern French cuisine
> > in its
> > semi-infancy. Among other things, there are shots of
> > brioche being
> > kneaded in the traditional manner, puff pastry being
> > made and worked
> > with, a huge batch of duxelles being made to fill
> > pie shells in lieu of
> > absent meat, and a mysterious substitute for custard
> > made from sugar and
> > cream, which, we are assured, will whip up just like
> > egg whites.
> > Amazing! It's mentioned in an offhand way that this
> > is an old recipe
> > from Chantilly. Oh, and some absolutely stunning
> > on-camera sugar work.
> > It's as if Vatel is some kind of time-traveller from
> > the era of Careme,
> > sent back to usher in the age of modern French
> > cookery.
> >
> > Of course, everybody knows that that was really La
> > Varenne who did that.
> > ;  )
> >
> > I can't think of anybody who put in a bad
> > performance, and Tim Roth
> > proves that his
> > "sleazeball-in-an-ornate-powdered-wig" act, as also
> > seen
> > in "Rob Roy" was not a fluke.
> >
> > Costumes appear to my untrained eye to be excellent,
> > and sets and props
> > are amazing. I highly recommend it to anyone
> > interested in food and with
> > a chance to see it.
> >
> > Now, does anybody if there's any truth to the rumor
> > that Gerard
> > Depardieu is really the illegitimate son of Karl
> > Malden? As he gets
> > older... well, see for yourself.
> >
> > Adamantius
> > --
> > Phil & Susan Troy
> >
> > troy at asan.com
>
> =====
> Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they
> shall never cease to be amused.
>
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