Step Up To The Plate

Ten years after making a documentary about chef Michel Bras and his three-Michelin-star restaurant in France’s Aubrac region, director Paul Lacoste returns to film Bras turning over the restaurant to his son.

The interest in the movie doesn’t come from whether son Sébastien (called Sébo) will be adequate. His dedication and talent are obvious, particularly in one lovely scene that shows Sébo creating a dish, trying flavors and ingredients one after another like a composer fiddling with a melody.

The movie’s true subject is the way the control-freakiness of haute cuisine translates into a father-son relationship. Michel’s attention to detail takes perfectionism to new heights, as he even harasses Sébo about which way to lay the foie gras on the plate.

Sébo, for his part, remains respectful even when his expression indicates that his genius father is getting on his nerves, much as any non-genius father would.

The food preparation and the interactions in the immaculate, gorgeous restaurant are so engrossing that sidebars about things like leisure time in the countryside feel extraneous. The film’s true fascination is in the kitchen, as it is for the chefs themselves.

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