FilmFestivals.com - Cannes 2000

After a few years of eclectic opening night choices Primary Colors anyone? the festival returns tonight to much more traditional ground. This year's curtain-raiser, an English-language, French-financed and produced period piece, promises to kick off Cannes 2000 in style, reflecting its return to spectacle and celebrating this two-week upswing in the indigenous film industry's current fortunes. Backed by Gallic major Gaumont to the tune of $38 million, Vatel is the latest production from Alain Goldman's Legende Entreprises, which has a first-look deal with the studio. Goldman's track record is impressive, having previously had his hand in such high-profile films as Martin Scorsese's Casino and Ridley Scott's 1492.

Directed by Oscar nominee Roland Joffé (The Mission, The Killing Fields), this 17th-century costume drama tells the story of François Vatel arguably France's first celebrity chef, albeit during the time of King Louis XIV and well before the days of talk shows and cookbooks. The son of a lowly labourer, born somewhere around 1625, Vatel eventually made his way to Chantilly, where he became the faithful attendant to the Prince de Conde. Vatel the commoner rose in the ranks through mastery of the art of cooking, becoming renowned for his speciality (crème de Chantilly, otherwise known as whipped cream), although the tragic denouement of his life would later overshadow his achievements.

We join Vatel's story in April 1671. In an attempt to ingratiate himself with King Louis XIV, the Prince de Conde (Julian Glover), now out of favour, turns to Vatel for help. Hoping to be assigned the charge of the Dutch army, Conde asks Vatel to prepare a three-day feast fit for a king and his court. With no exact guest list though the ballpark figure is 2,000 and only 15 days to prepare, Vatel, the consummate perfectionist, slaves to make everything just so. He must recruit and train staff, organise lodging for the invitees, arrange the evening's entertainment and cook up three days' worth of incomparable delicacies.

But behind the scenes lurks the evil Marquis de Lauzin (Tim Roth), who is also desperately vying for the good graces of King Louis (Julian Sands), hardly content that a commoner should rise while he is in danger of being cast out.

Uma Thurman plays Anne de Montausier, the queen's attendant, who is courted by both Lauzin and Louis himself. But Anne only has eyes for Vatel, although the two are doomed by Vatel's preoccupation with his task, and by fate.

With things going well during the first two days of the celebration, despite a few minor glitches, the third day dawns with Vatel in a panic. The seafood that had been a central part of the final day's meals has not arrived a catering error that will have terrible consequences.

An uplifting story? That remains to be seen, but given the film's pedigree it's likely to be an engaging one. Depardieu has shown that he excels at adapting real characters, receiving an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Cyrano de Bergerac and much kudos for his appearances in recent telefilms The Count Of Monte-Cristo and Balzac. French writer Jeanne Labrune (who wrote and directed the 1998 drama Si Je T'Aime, Prends Garde A Toi) wrote the screenplay while Oscar-winning playwright Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare In Love) adapted the screenplay for English audiences, and Ennio Morricone penned the haunting score.

Joffé's experience at handling period detail, large casts and natural locations certainly came in handy over the 15-week shoot last year. Using landmark estates throughout France, Joffé's team of set designers paid very close attention to detail. Furnishings were made by hand and replicated from the period by master craftsmen in Italy and England. To lend extra authenticity to the kitchen and banquet scenes, a gaggle of pastry chefs from France's Le Notre were brought in and, all told, the production spent in the region of $500,000 to give the food its sumptuous grandeur. Indeed, Goldman has claimed that Vatel will feature "the most beautiful feast ever committed to film."

Costumes were hand sewn for the principals by Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle and her crew, whose previous work includes Jean-Jacques Annaud's The Lover and Henry and June.

The film, which has been baking for over a year, has been sold in most territories and will be distributed in France by Gaumont, going out nationwide on the same day as its Cannes bow. Although no US sale has been finalised at time of going to press, it is known that a delegation of American buyers viewed the film in Paris in late April and a deal is expected shortly.

Nancy Tartaglione