Tasting Menu Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

Tasting Menu Blu-ray Movie Review

The Right Ingredients

Reviewed by Michael Reuben December 1, 2014

An Irish-Spanish co-production, Tasting Menu is yet another entry in the gastronomic genre represented by Big Night, Babette's Feast and even Ratatouille (a film that director and co-writer and director Roger Gual has cited as inspiration). With an international cast, the film has been designated as English-language by Magnolia Home Entertainment, but more of the dialogue is in Spanish than English (and is appropriately subtitled).

After fifteen years of success, Chef Mar Vidal (Vicenta N'Dongo) is closing her world-renowned restaurant, Chakula, on the coast of Catalonia. For those lucky enough to obtain a reservation, Mar and her manager-husband Max (Andrew Tarbet) promise a glorious send-off to the fabled establishment. The pièce de résistance will be a mysterious special "dessert" that will arrive at the last minute and about which Chef Mar worries the entire night.

The assembled company contains enough mysteries and mini-dramas to ensure a lively evening, even as each new course dazzles the diners. Marc (Jan Cornet), a pediatrician, and Rachel (Claudia Bassols), a successful author, made their reservation a year ago; since then, they have divorced over issues of work and family. Their tentative reunion is made awkward by the unexpected appearance of Rachel's brutish editor from New York, who has designs on her. He is countered by the intervention of an unlikely fairy godmother in the person of Chef Mar's old friend, the Countess (Fionnula Flanagan), who is still mourning the recent loss of her husband but would not miss this night for the world.

Two of the guests are competing Japanese investors (Togo Igawa and Akihiko Serikawa) who want to fund a new venture for Chef Mar, but in Tokyo. When their assigned translator became ill, they were given a guide, Mina (Marta Torné), who speaks only Spanish and English. Flighty from the outset, Mina grows progressively less tactful as she consumes more wine. She also become convinced (wrongly) that Dr. Marc is interested in her.

A mystery among the guests is Walter Reilly (Stephen Rea), an impassive man with specific tastes who Max initially assumes to be a food critic, but no one in the business knows him. He is constantly receiving mysterious phone calls.

Adding to the pressure of the evening for Chef Mar is the knowledge that a TV talk show will be arriving for her grand finale. If she cannot deliver the magnificent finish she has promised, all the world will watch her fail.

Tasting Menu Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The shooting format was not specified, but Magnolia's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray reflects its typical commitment to quality. The image is detailed and reasonably sharp, blacks are solid, colors are vivid and densities look appropriate. The average bitrate of 22.00 Mbps is somewhat low, which may explain why banding can be observed from time to time in large areas of solid color.

Tasting Menu Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 track conveys the clink and clatter of a busy kitchen as well as the gentle outdoor beach sounds of the Spanish coast. Since the English dialogue was clear, I assume the Spanish and Japanese were too.

Tasting Menu Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Other than trailers for additional Magnolia features and BD-Live, the disc has no extras.

Tasting Menu Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Tasting Menu is a good-natured romantic comedy with a Mediterranean flavor and performances that blend suitably. The lack of extras is unfortunate, but the disc is certainly worth a rental.