Babette’s Feast (1987)

Directed by Gabriel Axel. Starring Stéphane Audran, Birgitte Federspiel, Bodil Kjer, Jarl Kulle, Vibeke Hastrip, Hanne Stensgaard, Gudmar Wivesson, Jean-Philippe Lafont, Pouel Kern, Bibi Andersson, Axel Strøbye, (voice) Ghita Nørby. [G]

Danish drama inspired by a short story authored by Karen Blixen (the subject of Out of Africa), and “short” is the key ingredient missing in this mediocre meal. The time period-jumping build-up getting to French housekeeper Audran presenting a banquet to a table of austere elders can be downright grueling at times (especially when Wivesson’s cavalry officer gets to singing). Speaking of “grueling,” gruel is precisely what these non-gourmands are accustomed to eating, so is it any surprise that they can’t maintain stoic indifference when presented with the likes of quail stuffed into a puff pastry or sponge cake with candied figs and cherries? Narrator Nørby’s “purple poetry” can sound as trifling as the parallels between art appreciation and affirmations of faith, and although Henning Kristiansen’s evocative, naturalistic photography bears some dramatically striking images, they come close to clashing with the thin, flaky strings holding the narrative together. Best remembered today for the loving presentation of its delectable dishes (even inspiring a small wave of food-centric films over the next decade or so), but they provide as little nourishment as the rest of the film, which is primarily rescued by the ravishingly bleak imagery and agreeable acting. Won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

57/100