The Menu to Maacher Jhol, Five films that are a visual treat for foodies

Food as a prop is one of the least carefully thought-of aspects of most films, especially since most characters and actors barely eat them. That, in turn, gives no visual pleasure to the foodie who subconsciously loves to watch gastronomical magic on screen as well as on plate. If that sounds like your woe, then these five films will satisfy your craving.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

This 2009 film was one of the earliest 3D food-disaster comedies. Starring the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Sandberg, Bruce Campbell, and Neil Patrick Harris among others, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs features a young inventor Flint Lockwood’s story. He invents a machine called the FLDSMDFR, or the Flint Lockwood Diatonic Super Mutating Dynamic Food Replicator, that turns water into any food of your choice. What ensues is a hilarious adventure including spaghetti and meatball tornados, gummy bear assassins, and a downpour of an all-you-can-eat-Vegas-style buffet. This film is available on Netflix.

The Menu

Directed by Mark Mylod, The Menu is a 2022 culinary horror, featuring touches of dark humor and intense suspense. Starring renowned actors like Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Nicholas Hoult, the film hangs out the dirty linen of the hotel industry, with a garnishing of vengeance. The film follows a special dinner hosted by highly exclusive chef Julian Slowik, in which specific guests are chosen and invited for the dinner outing. The reason? They all will be killed. But the real twist in the tale arrives when a young woman, Margot, arrives in place of a guest, throwing the entire plan into dangerous, choppy waters. The film is available on Disney+hotstar.

Ratatouille

This 2007 culinary comedy by Disney and Pixar remains a family favorite for all. The film traces the story of a rat, as evident from the name, known as Remy, who possesses mad cooking skills and dreams of being a chef at his idol, the late Auguste Gusteau’s restaurant. There he teams up with an unlikely partner, garbage boy Alfredo Linguini, to do what he has always wanted to do. Cook. Controlling Linguini like a marionette by hiding under his toque, Remy manages to swim through dishes till he faces the ultimate critic, Ego. An unlikely story of rat and ratatouille, a simple French dish, this film is a gamechanger. This film is available on Disney+hotstar.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

This 2005 film is based on the iconic titular novel by Roald Dahl. Starring Johnny Depp, Freddie Highmore, Helena Bonham Carter, among others, the film follows the story of a kind, impoverished boy Charlie and his love for chocolate, specifically the Wonka chocolates. His fate changes when he gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enter the mysterious chocolateer Willy Wonka’s factory for a scrumdiddlyumptious journey like no other. The film is currently available on Jio Cinema.

Maacher Jhol

This film is a Bengali foodie’s haven, especially if one is a fish lover. Maacher Jhol is a 2017 feature starring Ritwick Chakraborty, Paoli Dam, and Mamata Shankar in the main roles. Directed by Tooth Pari-fame Pratim D. Gupta, the film follows the prodigal homecoming of Paris-based chef Dev D, who had left his home and wife years ago to train as a chef at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Returning home to an ailing mother, Chef Dev is requested to cook fish curry for her, just like a younger Devdatto, who used to cook for his mother. What follows is the chef’s attempt to reinvent his childhood creation as well as his life. The film is available for a binge on Hoichoi.