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Menus-Plaisirs: les Troisgros

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Menus-Plaisirs: les Troisgros

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Summary

Frederick Wiseman's gastronomic dream of a film captures daily life in one of the world's most prestigious restaurants.

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IMDB

Review

A star rating of 5 out of 5.

Calum Baker

Frederick Wiseman's 45th documentary feature may be four hours long, but it's probably the great film-maker's most accessible work, focusing as it does on the day-to-day life of a restaurant. Filming over five weeks in 2020, Wiseman goes behind the scenes at Le Bois sans Feuilles, a Loire establishment boasting three Michelin stars that is run by chef Michel Troisgros, who represents the third generation of a family of culinary legends. Michel's wife, Marie-Pierre, presides over front-of-house as well as décor and ambience, and the couple's adult children continue the Troisgros dynasty - one son, César, is Le Bois's head chef while another, Léo, has his own restaurant up the road. Wiseman, in his usual hands-off but carefully edited fashion, shows us the meticulous service preparations at both front and back of house and, if that weren't enough to whet appetites, treats us to plenty of dining footage. The exhaustive study is completed with scenes involving suppliers, farmers and Le Bois's in-house sommelier and fromager. Perhaps the ultimate "foodie" film, this contemplative epic allows its audience to wallow in luxury while ruminating on themes including artistry, sustainability, class and even the subtly conflicting dynamics of a family with a reputation to uphold. But the overriding sensation here is of celebration as Wiseman, in what would be his final work, quietly traces the long process that results in something as profoundly beautiful and fleeting as a great plate of food. And that gigantic cheeseboard is just out of this world.

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7.7/10

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Credits

Crew

rolenameDirectorFrederick Wiseman

Details

Theatrical distributor

BFI

Released on

2026-01-02

Languages

English | French

Formats

Colour

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