Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros

Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros
Directed byFrederick Wiseman
Written byFrederick Wiseman
CinematographyJames Bishop
Edited byFrederick Wiseman
Production
company
Zipporah Films
Distributed byMétéore Films (France)
Release date
  • 9 September 2023 (2023-09-09) (Venice)
Running time
240 minutes
CountriesFrance
United States
LanguagesFrench
English

Menus-Plaisirs – Les Troisgros (French: [məny pleziʁ le tʁwaɡʁo]) is a 2023 French documentary film written and directed by Frederick Wiseman. It premiered out of competition at the 80th edition of the Venice Film Festival.

Synopsis

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The film focuses on the Troisgros family's Michelin 3-star restaurant "Le Bois sans feuilles" ('The Woods Without Leaves') and the farms which provide them the food, with more brief segments focusing on two other Troisgros' restaurants, Le Central and La Colline du Colombier.[1]

Like Wiseman's other documentaries, the film uses only observational footage with no interviews, music, or voiceover narration.[2]

Production

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The documentary was conceived in 2020, after Wiseman had lunch at the Troisgros restaurant and asked the chef to film a documentary without any prior planning. Filming took place with a four-person crew over 35 consecutive days in 2020.[3]

Release

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The film had its world premiere out of competition at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.[4] It was later screened in other festivals, including the Toronto Film Festival, the Busan Film Festival, the New York Film Festival, and the Tokyo International Film Festival.[4][5][6]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 49 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.7/10.[7] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 91 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim".[8] The film was often described as a "masterpiece".[9][10][11][12]

Manohla Dargis of The New York Times called the film "deeply pleasurable", praising Wiseman's "analytical and dialectical" approach.[1] Both Variety and Eater noted the rhythmic nature of the film and described it as "mesmerizing".[13][14]

Accolades

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The film was awarded as Best Non-Fiction Film at the 2023 New York Film Critics Circle Awards, at the 2023 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards, and at the 2023 National Society of Film Critics Awards.[15][16][17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Dargis, Manohla (23 November 2023). "'Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros' Review: A Beautiful Collaboration". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  2. ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller. "Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros movie review (2023)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  3. ^ Nevins, Jake (2023-12-06). ""The Drama Is on the Plate": Frederick Wiseman, in Conversation With Jean-Georges". Interview. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  4. ^ a b Leffler, Rebecca (31 July 2023). "The Party bites into Frederick Wiseman's Venice premiere 'Menus Plaisirs - Les Troisgros'". Screen International. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  5. ^ Hudson, David (4 October 2023). "Frederick Wiseman's Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros". Criterion. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  6. ^ Frater, Patrick (27 September 2023). "Tokyo Film Festival Gives Prominence to Chinese Titles in Competition and Gala Selections". Variety. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Menus Plaisirs - Les Troisgros critic reviews". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-03-15.
  9. ^ Schager, Nick (22 November 2023). "Doc Film Legend's Sets His Masterpiece in a French Restaurant". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  10. ^ Chang, Justin (29 November 2023). "Review: Frederick Wiseman rolls out a foodie masterpiece with 'Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  11. ^ Bowen, Chuck (22 September 2023). "'Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros' Review: The Intricacies of Leisure". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  12. ^ Mahler, Matt (17 December 2023). "Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros Review: 2023's Best Documentary Performs Culinary Hypnosis". MovieWeb. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  13. ^ Lodge, Guy (2023-10-05). "'Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros' Review: Frederick Wiseman Feasts at Length on Culinary Process and Pleasure". Variety. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  14. ^ Suh, Elissa (2023-11-27). "In 'Les Troisgros,' a Restaurant Documentary That's Well Worth Watching". Eater. Retrieved 2024-03-18.
  15. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (30 November 2023). "New York Film Critics Circle Names 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Best Film; Christopher Nolan Best Director – Full List Of Winners". Deadline. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  16. ^ Davis, Clayton (10 December 2023). "'The Zone of Interest' Wins Best Picture at Los Angeles Film Critics Awards, Four Women Take Acting Prizes". Variety. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  17. ^ Clark, Steve Pond and Jason (6 January 2024). "'Past Lives' Wins Best Film Award from National Society of Film Critics". TheWrap. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
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