Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Charles Duchemin, a well-known gourmet and publisher of a famous restaurant guide, is waging a war against fast food entrepreneur Tri- catel to save the French art of cooking. After having agreed to appear on a talk show to show his skills in naming food and wine by taste, he is confronted with two disasters: his son wants to become a clown rather than a restaurant tester and he, the famous Charles Duchemin, has lost his taste!
A beloved Louis de Funès vehicle built around a very French premise — defending haute cuisine against fast food industrialization — with solid comic construction and an enjoyable father-son dynamic. De Funès is characteristically electric, earning the acting mark above average, while Coluche provides strong support. The plot is serviceable but episodic, and the cinematography is functional rather than distinguished. Novelty is moderate: the premise has a distinctly Gallic flavor and the loss-of-taste crisis is a clever comic hook, but the broader structure follows familiar French comedy conventions. The ending resolves neatly and satisfyingly without being particularly surprising.