The film opens with an elaborate scene of the Sun King defecating while conducting an on-the-road political meeting with his closest advisors. This is to establish that kings are human and that Vatel is of the History-as-a-collection-of-body-fluids school of movie-making, of which 'Le Roi danse' is a prime example. It's all downhill from there. The story is very loosely inspired by Mme de Sévigné's relation in her letters to her daughter of the story of the famous chef who committed suicide because the fish were late in arriving during a banquet organized for the King's visit to his master's castle, thus becoming the martyr of haute cuisine and an inspiration to caterers everywhere. This is not the story you will see in this film however. The hero falls in love with the King's mistress (Uma Thurman), an impossible attachment which explains his final demise. Every attempt of the art directors to convey the beauty, expense and spectacle of a royal party in XVIIth century France is marred by sadistic and inopportune gory deaths and dismemberments. Even Vatel's suicide is made to look as disgusting as the law will permit. The members of the cast appear to be sedated or in various stages of a post-overdose depression. The script's comments on the nature of love, power, servitude and human happiness are all pointless. Avoid at all cost.
