Menus-Plaisirs [2023] – ★★★1/2

Frederick Wiseman is the absolute king of social documentary. No one penetrated on film the confines of an American institution with a more critical eye than he did, exposing the system within vis-à-vis the human spirit. Wiseman dealt with poverty (Public Housing), crime (Law & Order), medical care (Hospital), and disability (Blind, Deaf), among many other topics, venturing into hospitals (Titicut Follies, Near Death), a local government (City Hall), the army (Basic Training), factory (Meat), school (High School), and into a library (Ex Libris). Comparing this new film to his best work of exposing serious (life or death) issues, it seems that Menus-Plaisirs is, at least thematically, almost a jest, an indulgence, but this is also a leisure-themed foray that the director had made before, for example by examining the worlds of ballet (La Danse), nightclub (Crazy Horse), and a store (The Store). The difference now is that we have a French language excursion to the top of French haute cuisine, focusing on Troisgros family’s Michelin three-star restaurant Le Bois sans feuilles (The Woods Without Leaves) in Ouches, France. The topic is very different, but Wiseman’s steady, trained eye for capturing a curious entity, and all the humanity operating within, detailing the process, remains the same. And, it is that (rather than the subject matter) which ultimately captivates us most in this film.

Food documentaries are easy to conceive, but far from easy to shoot. On the one hand, we have works that offer insights into general foodstuffs and interesting cases within, like documentaries Somm (2012) and Poisoned (2023), and, on the other, films that focus on exclusive gourmet places, like Noma (2015) or famous chefs, like Jiro: Dreams of Sushi (2011) and Julia (2021). Wiseman’s documentary is evidently of the latter kind, but, though the centre is one particular restaurant, the director is still more interested in the culinary process itself, rather than in any particularities of this restaurant or its chefs. Menus-Plaisirs is all about perfectionism in cooking, serving and entertaining customers, and there is only one occasion in this work where the restaurant’s uniqueness is emphasised. This is the scene where owner Michel Troisgros explains to his diners the open-plan layout of the kitchen, whose lack of partitions means easier communication among the kitchen staff. For the majority of the film, we are simply being shown various, albeit rather artsy, dishes in their various stages of preparedness to be served – all shot beautifully, but with no real meaning or idea beyond the simple presentation of this restaurant’s usual and quite unremarkable “day in a life”. Wiseman’s trademark of leaving out any music or explanation seems to hurt this work more than help.

The subject makes a documentary, and many Wiseman documentaries have fascinating subject matters. Everything flows from there, and with ever unfiltered, ever objective, ever curious Wiseman lens, the focus on real life and real people is usually enough for a documentary- masterpiece by Wiseman. However, unfortunately, it is the beautiful shots and aesthetics that take the central stage here, and not the restaurant, its people or even their cooking. Moreover, though Le Bois sans feuilles is “high-end” and rather interesting, it is not actually as remarkable or unusual as we may assume at first. We never see in this film one dish from its conception until its serving, nor does Wiseman focus on any one chef in particular. We feel intrigued about the place, surrounded by all the natural beauty that French countryside can offer, but are hardly invested in anything presented, let alone “become one with the film”, as it often happens with Wiseman’s stronger work. There is zero drama here or true excitement, unless, of course, one finds the talk of wine prices in post-covid times quite thrilling. Cooking is a craft, a form of art, and should be treated as such, but the delicacies on display or the talk of etiquette are hardly the way for us to penetrate its mysteries.

For Wiseman fans, admirers or veteran-viewers, Menus-Plaisirs will come across as a curious, but toothless culinary foray that just lacks the punch of the director’s better-known work. For others, this may just be a delightful, ambience-setting film, whose steady, leisurely rhythm promises relaxation for four hours or so.