If you liked 'Chocolat', you'll love this movie starring Juliette Binoche that HBO Max has released as a surprise.

The video-on-demand (VOD) platform HBO Max has surprised its users by adding a French film to its catalog that has won over critics with its mix of romance, gastronomy, and sensitivity . Starring Juliette Binoche , this 19th-century story recalls the charm and passion of Chocolat , but with even greater depth.

The film in question is titled A fuego lento (Slow Fire ) and is directed by Trần Anh Hùng. It won the Best Director award at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival and is a loose adaptation of the Swiss novel by Marcel Rouff about a supposed "Napoleon of gastronomy" and the woman who inspired him.

Binoche plays Eugénie, an exceptional cook who maintains a close relationship with renowned chef Dodin-Bouffant, played by Benoît Magimel . The story unfolds in a period France where love simmers slowly, amidst recipes and shared silences.

The French drama of the year

Slow Fire uses culinary art as an emotional and narrative language. The dishes, filmed in exquisite detail, become metaphors for desire, complicity, and the passage of time. The camera, always curious and graceful, observes the characters in their daily routines, revealing their love story through their cooking. Binoche shines with a restrained and melancholic performance that reinforces the film's emotional intensity.

The film also stands out for its photography and its setting in the castles of the Loire Valley. The film was chosen by the National Center for Cinema and Animated Image to represent France in the race for the Oscar for Best International Feature Film in 2024.

Although it didn't receive a final nomination, its impact on critics and audiences has been remarkable, with more than 1.7 million viewers worldwide. Its recent arrival on HBO Max offers a unique opportunity to discover this delicate masterpiece that pays homage to cooking as an art form and love as a daily ritual.