Menus-Plaisirs Les Troisgros

Any viewer interested in food, food preparation, food service, wine, cheese, frogs or snails will be affixed to his figurative chair at Mr. Wiseman’s table. Bring snacks.

"Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros" patiently takes us through the entire operation. And then, just like clockwork, the journey begins anew, with Wiseman's camera there to record it all and present it to us on a silver platter of cinematic enjoyment.

Menus-Plaisirs is a fascinating exploration of that passion, and perhaps the closest many of us will get to experiencing it at all.

It takes a rare documentarian to turn a four-hour cinema vérité culinary experience into one that’s as appetizing and satisfying as the Michelin-starred meals it observes getting created from farm to crafted table.

At the center of it all is an affectionate portrait of the Troisgros family, who have been restaurateurs for generations. They pursue their life’s mission with a zeal that’s inspiring and, at times, amusing...

If you're a fan of films about cooking... This is the king of them all.

For Wiseman fans, Menus-Plaisirs will come across as a curious, but toothless culinary foray that just lacks the punch of the director’s [other] work. For others, this may...be a delightful, ambience-setting film...[promising] relaxation for four hours.

For the Troisgrois family, the process is part of the experience. This makes Wiseman’s methods a perfect match for the material.

A dialogue about asparagus, passionfruit and rhubarb turns into a philosophical and artistic inquiry about technique, appearance and taste. The pace of the exchange rivals every Éric Rohmer movie.

Another beautifully exhausive examination from wizard documentary Frederick Wiseman.