Shuswap Film Society: The Tasting a film about wine, food and love

If you find yourself looking for a “feel good” film at this time of year, without any appearances from Santa Claus or animated reindeer, The Tasting (La Dégustation) may be the perfect choice for you.

This French film is an enduring romantic comedy which freely mixes good humour with love and sadness and more than a modicum of tenderness. 

Hortense is a midwife, a devout catholic, and prepares dinner for the homeless once a week. Jacques runs a wine store and is on the verge of bankruptcy.  A heart scare sees the man whose life revolves around wine forced to give up alcohol.  One day Hortense visits Jacques's shop and sees that he offers wine tastings and expresses an interest in attending one. 

Naturally, there’s plenty of light relief from the supporting players, a hint of external danger, stories of complicated pasts and free-flowing wine to set the right tone for an engaging, enjoyable cinematic experience. At its heart, this film provides a story about finding love in middle age and all the complexities and realities that come with such a venture.  

A film about wine, food and love, set in a charming, historical town, has all the ingredients for a perfect holiday movie outing. 

In French, with English subtitles, The Tasting (La Dégustation) plays at 5 p.m. at the Salmar Classic Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 7.