September 10, 2001 -- "The Taste of Others" is a tale of relationships of men and women and how different cultural tastes bring them together and set them apart. Directed and co-written by actress Agnès Jaoui, she and screenwriter Jean-Pierre Bacri won the top screenplay award in the 2000 European Film Awards). The film, made in 1999, is now making the art-film circuit in the U.S.

The film starts out abruptly, picking up several conversations already in progress before the titles even come up. That part probably works better if you can understand French. Relying on subtitles, it is a bit awkward. The story follows a chauffeur, a bodyguard, an actress, a waitress and a successful businessman whose fates become intertwined.

The unhappy businessman, Jean-Jacques Castella (played by Jean-Pierre Bacri, the film's co-writer) reluctantly accompanies his wife to a play "Berenice" and is surprised when he enjoys the performance, especially the acting of Clara Devaux (Anne Alvaro). He had previously met Clara when she interviewed for a job of English teacher. The smitten Castella hires Clara and begins to work his way into her circle of friends. Clara is repulsed by his unrefined manners and politically incorrect jokes.

Slowly, however, we begin to see another side to Castella, and Clara also begins to see that there is more to him than first meets the eye. Castella's chauffeur, Bruno Deschamps (Alain Chabat) and his ex-cop bodyguard Franck Moreno (Gérard Lanvin) have simultaneous affairs with barmaid Manie (played by Jaoui, the film's director). Moreno, bitter and cynical, is turned off by Manie's other business, selling hashhish. Deschamps has his own problems, but even though he is somewhat idealistic, he seems to be able to take a punch better than Moreno. Moreno's cynicism is no protection against harsh reality.

Castella, too, seems to rise above his troubles. The message seems to be that if you bend a little, life's setbacks won't break you. Another theme of the movie is that it is important for each person to find their own tastes and that relationships don't have to be based on people having the same tastes. It is an interesting character study as far as it goes, but it seems a bit slight and low-key. It isn't simplistic, but it isn't all that rich and complex, either. Probably I missed a lot not knowing the language. Subtitles don't give you the whole story. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.