A TASTE OF HUNGER

Boe splits his film into five chapters, each mirroring their given name - sweet, sour, fat, salt and heat. Audiences learn more about Carsten and Maggi as each chapter progresses, discovering kinks and secrets that were otherwise unknown. We see when they first meet, when cracks start to appear, what they are willing to sacrifice and how they are with their children. Speaking of, the eldest daughter Chloe (Flora Augusta, in her feature debut) has a significant role to play in the family dynamic, and does it all with the sophistication and subtlety of an actor well beyond her years.

There's lots going on in this film, but ultimately it is a film about a relationship and what it means to want it all. Unfortunately, though visually colourful and dynamic, Boe is strained by having too much to do. There are lots of great ideas here and certain moments that really stand out, but by drawing on all these ideas we don't quite get the focus and attention that certain aspects deserve. It feels at times as though Boe had lots of Post-it notes of ideas, stuck them onto a wall and tried to piece them together like a detective with a theory. What results is a film of good moments, but no overall concept that feels sufficient enough to stick a landing.

As well as the expansive ideas in 'A Taste in Hunger', there is a surprising number of genre changes - and while this is no bad thing, none of them seem to really take off on their own. There are elements of erotic thriller that are just not very sexy, there are plenty of "food porn" shots but don't quite show off the chefs' skills enough, there is family drama with just not enough bite, and the kitchen drama which sometimes feels suffocated by everything else going on. Again, nothing here is bad and it all looks great on screen, but it just needed that extra pinch of salt to neatly bring it all together neatly.

Greis-Rosenthal and Coster-Waldau are great and their on-screen chemistry is palpable. The co-stars who have a role to play - although mostly small - all deliver what is necessary, and the gourmet environment that Boe tries to create feels tangible. I enjoyed the sequence of chapters, although as with most films who do so, it doesn't always feel completely necessary. As a film that explores the ideas of what makes a relationship work and what it takes for it to all go sour, 'A Taste in Hunger' is more than serviceable. It's not the best family drama nor does it have the best food scenes, but in the current climate where audiences want a taste of both, then look no further.