Un bocado exquisito

A creative and driven Danish chef , who learned his trade in Japan , finally gains his own restaurant with a Michelin star as his ultimate goal. Great actors, storyline and attention to detail preparing his luxurious food.

No pun intended - Game of Food? I don't think that works - though if you have used it, I am not saying you are wrong. I guess if you are responsible for a kitchen, for many people who cook (for you and customers), you have to be quite ... well hard and really "bossy". The start gives us a clear view of our main character and how he thinks and acts.

We may feel he is a bit too much - the way he commands and talks (down) to his employees ... but as I said, sometimes this is the only way to go about things. Add to that a really tough relationship and other issues that seem to lay in his way ... and you can feel for the guy ... especially towards the end ... both his wife and him ... we understand both perspectives ... or rather we can understand them both ... maybe we are more on one side than the other ... will it help or be an obstacle to his professional goals?

Smagen af sult is a decent film. I went in with little expectations and came out satisfied having seen a nicely presented picture. The only other Michelin-star-level cooking film that I remember watching is Burnt, which was a TOTAL train-wreck, so the bar was set pretty low.

The plot perhaps lacks some substance, but in other respects the film delivered. It was nicely framed, the performances were good all around, and the characters felt real. This especially goes for Frederik. A character that would commonly get downgraded to one-dimensional home-wrecker, in this film he gets just enough spotlight to show how he also was yet another victim of the ambition to get that coveted Michelin star.

The captivating film, A Taste of Hunger by Christoffer Boe, truly shows the perfection of the culinary world. Each dish in this movie is carefully arranged and perfectly cooked. The acting portrays the deep desire that every chef has to create a dish that the customer would never forget. I can almost smell all of the delicious food, as if the scent of sautéed oyster, cooked octopus, and fermented lemons are wafting through the screen.

The storyline revolves around a Danish couple, both culinary experts. Maggi (Katrine Greis-Rosenthal) and Carsten (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) both dream of only one accomplishment, receiving the world's most renowned culinary award, a Michelin star. Although their dream is big, they use every means of achieving it, even if it comes in the way of their relationship, and more importantly, their family. Will Maggi's affair destroy their dream altogether, or will they push past this bump in the long road to a Michelin star?

The protagonist, played by Katrine Greis-Rosenthal, portrays her character with a sense of mystery. You never truly know what is going on inside of Maggi's head. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau plays both a loving father and an uncompromising boss very realistically, giving the viewers mixed feelings of whether they should root for him or not. The food shown in this movie is designed to almost perfection, enhancing the quality of this film. My favorite part of the movie is the opening sequence. The beautifully presented food and the music create an enthralling introduction to the movie.

The message of this film is that working hard is the only way to achieve your dream. No matter how hard you try, there will always be setbacks and forks in the road, but to reach what you want, you have to get back up, no matter how many times you fall. This is an uplifting message to all those who have a big dream, no matter how hard it is to fulfill. The main age restriction of this movie is due to the sexual scenes. There are multiple scenes that would not be appropriate for ages 13 and under.

I give A Taste of Hunger 4 out of five stars and recommend it for ages 14 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters and on demand January 28, 2022.

By Nyara A., KIDS FIRST!

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is one of my favorite actors, and as always he has an excellent performance in this film. A Taste of Hunger was sold as Nikolai being the main actor, however the big star of this film is not him, but Katrine Greis-Rosenthal (Maggie). The plot developed throughout the film was completely wrapped around her character, leaving Carsten, Nikolai's character, in the background. There was no reason to create so much marketing over Nikolai's name and so little on Katrine, this is something that bothered me a lot, even though Nikolai is my favorite actor.

The story is interesting, with a justifiable personal desire of the character. The photography is wonderful, capturing beautiful elements and scenery from Denmark. I noticed some camera and continuation errors, but they are passable.

The plot developed throughout the film is quite warm until the middle, focusing exclusively on the desires, hopes and characteristics of the characters. And after all that, there's an interesting plot twist at the end of the movie, something that is, frankly, unimaginable.

Overall, A Taste of Hunger is a good movie to watch in the afternoon. It's not a film with an excellent plot, but it is... charismatic. The performances are excellent, soundtrack PERFECT, photography great, and a warm story.

I recommend.