A Chef in Love (1996) - full transcript

This one is all right.

The animals...

I'm not sure.

This must be swapped.

Perhaps with that.

We'll try with this one there,
can you try it?

All the family harvested the grapes

On the boy's head was pressed
the juice of a grape.

It was the feast,

banquets.

There was always
the traditional Georgian musicians.



It's a shame, that the portrait of the actress
Marguerite is in Spain.

You know the story, don't you?

Pirosmani fell in love
with a singer of French music-hall,

on tour in Tbilisi.

One morning outside his hotel,

he had the square covered
with flowers for her waking.

A lady came, she is waiting for you
at the restaurant,

you will recognize her easily,
she smokes cigars.

- Sorry, I'll be back in ten minutes.
- Yes.

Can you carry it to the back?

- Yes.
- Thank you.

I love the cook.

Excuse me, Madam,
do you who want to see me?

- Are you Anton Gogoladze?
- Yes.



Sit down.

A friend of mine told me about you.
A little wine?

So, you have just arrived
from Tbilisi?

When do you begin
your exhibition of Pirosmani?

Tomorrow.

I wanted to meet you
because I have something to show you.

Do you know this book?

If I know it?

I saw it throughout my childhood
on the kitchen dresser.

So did I, this is a family souvenir.

My uncle Pascal wrote it.

Was Pascal Ichak your uncle?

My name is Marcelle Ichak,
but you can call me Marcelle.

When I was a child, I was often ill.

My mother used to prepare me cakes.

Mostly fruit tarts, delicious.

This book was... my mother's Bible.

Your mother's name was
Cecilia Abachitdzé, wasn't it?

Yes.

I have manuscripts

written by Pascal Ichak
during his stay in Georgia.

- Would you like to see them?
- He talks a lot about your mother.

Ichak Pascal spoke of my mother?

Seventeen,

eighteen,

nineteen...

Dad, why do you always say
it is sweet when it is sour?

That's how he writes his recipes.

They are like poems.

No, I prepare a cake for Anton.

What?
Do you want the end of the turkey?

My God! Zigmund!

- What's wrong with you?
- I'll cut your throat!

Anton! Dad has gone crazy!
He thinks I am a turkey!

Why Zigmund?

I've had enough of your Pascal Ichak!

What may be in this?

That's so old.

Pictures.

Papers.

An old program, a drawing.
It's funny.

"During the harvest,

in a small village called Moukouzani,

Princess Cecilia Abashidze,
who accompanied me..."

Read by yourself.

"I am traveling through Georgia

searching for new tastes,

unknown Georgian dishes,

exquisite wines.

I go to weddings, harvests
and village festivals."

What?

- It lasted all night!
- So what?

He is old!

He is French! French!
Come here.

Come over here!

- Where are you going?
- Wait!

- What are you doing?
- Wait!

Long life!

My dear boy!

Long life!

May God be with us!

Are you going to kill it?

Oh no, let it go!

Let it go!

Skewers are delicious!

Thank you!

- Hello!
- Hello!

Add some more!

That one too!

Give me that!

Help me!

My Captain.

Marcelle.

- Yes?
- I came across the first meeting.

Great wine.

Great French wine.
Mouton-Rothschild, 1910.

Aroma.

Subtle.

Do you want to taste it?

I am lucky, it's my favourite wine.

What's more, it is a great year.

You speak French.

And if we imagined
a little something to eat...

to bring him out.

Give me 5 minutes.

All right, I need 5 minutes.

5 minutes.

Bon appetit.

I know you

It was during a cruise on the river Nile,
you have probably forgotten me.

I was a little girl.

Don't worry.

I know you were only a
ballroom dancer, a kind of gigolo.

You appealed much to my mother.

She said he is not handsome,
but he is so French.

May your mother be thanked for it.

Did you often work on the Nile?

I was mainly on large ships.

New York, London, New York.

Were you dancing?

I made love.

And what do you do now?

Right now I'm sitting in front of
a very pretty woman,

and I ask myself,
where is she going all alone?

Home.

Please convey my greetings
to your mother.

But I no longer live at my parents'.

I earn my living, I work.

I live alone,

and I'm bored.

I am a gourmet photographer.

I cook and I photograph my artwork.

It's a nice job.

The hardest thing is the temptation.

Could you move a little the umbrella?

That's it.

It's time to sit down to have dinner.

It's very delicate.

Anton.

I have an offer for you.

You translate everything
that is written in Georgian,

and I pay you for that.
Whatever you want.

It would be a pleasure, but...

with the exhibition,
I don't know if I'll have time.

You can settle here,
it does not bother me at all.

Look,

what's written here?

A life and recipes.

And down here?

Walks with a great cook.

You have no idea of what you are losing,
Marcelle, it's delicious.

Read.

- Does one say, "to have a passion"?
- Yes.

Pascal had a true passion
for great classical music.

He even said to have attended
the Conservatory of Lyon.

But it's true.

During the winter of 1920,
he sang at the opera of Koutaici

Listen Pascal,

what's the point of singing

your air before the duel?

This is the only aria I sing.

Today we have to end
the opera earlier.

We are the guests of honor
at a wedding in the countryside.

This will be a beautiful wedding.

They brought especially for us

some Astrakhan caviar.

And we will be served iced vodka!

Today we come on stage
in silence with guns.

I shoot. Pan!

We save thirteen minutes!

And we can catch the train!

What about my aria?

Leave it!

But I invited the princess Abashidze.
She'll hear me for the first time.

You'll sing for her

in bed!

I want to sing.

It's starting!

We shoot without your aria!

Where did you run away,

O golden days

of my spring.

What does the future hold for me?

In vain...

I look around for it.

It hides in the deep darkness.

Whatever, the law of fate is just.

Will I succumb drilled by an arrow...

Chase him out.

I challenge you to a duel.

A duel?!
Do you think you're D'Artagnan!

- You have the choice of weapons.
- Perhaps... with guns?

Guns!

Why not axes?

Axes!

Or bricks?

Bricks!

Stop! Stop!
Please!

A duel is a duel.
This is your place.

Take your brick.

Get ready!

In Venice

He screamed his serenades
on the Grand Canal.

Did he?

The gondoliers were so outraged,
they wanted to drown him.

What a character!

Stop!

- What are you doing?
- I am photographing the silence.

What a bizarre country.
Whenever I'm in beautiful countryside,

either there is a church, or
there is a fiesta.

Anyway,
there is always a pretty woman.

Coming, coming!

- Marcelle?
- I'm here.

Come into the kitchen.

- Hello.
- Do you know how to use a computer?

A little.

Try it.

Go quick!
Take care of everything!

Eh! Come in, come in!

This way!
Whatever your appetite!

You must try our piglet!
It is a treat.

We will roast it nicely ripe!
Come in, come in!

Get the car in!

No, I'm interested in that.

It's beautiful!

Oh that's right!

Lobio!

May I introduce you to our host's son,
his name is Zigmund.

Gogoladzé.

Darling!

- Marcelle.
- Yes.

- You know what I have just read?
- No.

I have just read that
my father was a cook in a country inn.

- So what?
- But it's impossible.

Young, he was preparing
the revolution.

Haven't the innkeepers the right
to be revolutionary?

I feel as if I've gnawed my rubber boot.

And yet we heard them squealing
behind the hedge.

You will see
our piglets are exquisite!

Enter, you will enjoy it!

Even that.

Enter! I take care of you right now.

Please enter, enter!

Stick him well, go ahead!

Good bye! Come back often!

It will
always a pleasure to see you again!

You especially.

- What did he say?
- Nothing, I'll always be welcome here.

- Translate word for word what I say.
- Calm down, what's happening to you?

You are pigs.

Mr. Ichak says that you are pigs.

- Put it down quickly.
- Put it down, quick!

- He turned mad?
- Do whatever he tells you!

In the car.

- He's crazy!
- He's French!

He'll see!

It's all right.

I raise my glass

to our great trade!

To our trade.

I see you are honoring our koupati.

He is a gourmet
and he knows the Georgian cooking.

It's the only place where the koupati
is prepared this way.

But only a real gourmet could guess
what they are stuffed with.

Can you guess what's inside?

Pheasant.

It is aerial.

And yet...

There's a touch of harshness,
of bestiality.

There's a touch of harshness.

Everything is there.

Nutmeg.

Red pepper.

Half a glass of wine.

And liver.

Yes, the liver, but of what?

Not a word not a word

I will say it.

Bear liver.

This is fantastic

This is where I live.

Here are your luggage.

Darling, there is a bomb in the room.

How do you know?

The smell of powder, of magnesium.

I can even tell you where it is.

Under Mr. Chotana's chair.

Then, we must do something.

If I get up,

and head towards the President's seat,
they will think I am a terrorist.

There is a bomb
under the President's seat.

- How?
- There is a bomb.

How do you mean, a bomb?

The President's life is in danger!

There is a bomb!

What about your guards,
Mr. President?

They don't go with me to the opera.

I am a specialist in defusing
explosive devices.

Let me...

He looks like the guy of the inn.

- Go with the President.
- Come please.

After you.

What are you doing here?

Is it over?

Yes, the show is over,
the bomb did not explode!

How are you?

- Well!
- "Well". Bravo, bravo!

I have to show you something.

Thank you very much.

This horn contains
five liters of wine.

These are the names of the champions
who emptied the horn

in one gulp.

Did you see, Alexandre Dumas.

He is the eighth on the list.

Dumas came

in the Caucasus in 1858.

He was the Prince Abashidze's host.
In your house Madam.

Among the heaviest drinkers,
he was the only one

to empty it in one gulp.

That was real French.

When can I try?

Tomorrow.

Mr. Pascal, opening a restaurant
in Tbilisi is a beautiful idea.

But why in Tbilisi
and not in Paris or Nice?

This is a reason

I would like...

I would like to know.

I fell in love with Georgia,
Mr. President.

Thank you.

Long live...

Ladies and gentlemen!

''Better not eat
than to eat without appetite!''

''Take care of your appetite
as you do of your loves!''

Yesterday I read
a book of French cooking,

that's where I borrowed
these sentences.

The author of these words is talented
with a wonderful smell.

I propose a toast
to my French friend,

Mr. Pascal, be happy.

To our French friend!

Alexandre Dumas, now let's fight it out!

Fragrance of vanilla,

rich,

wine of the region of Bouzcani

Moukouzani!

Harvest of 1909.

- I forgive you the killing of the pig.
- Thank you.

Raise your right hand.

You have planted a bomb again.

Already at the opera...

Your hands smelled gunpowder.

Thanks to the President, Pascal made
the dream of his life come true,

to open his own French restaurant,
the Eldorado.

The president himself came
to inaugurate it.

I greet you gentlemen!
I greet you!

Enter our French host's place!

Welcome Mr. President
in this restaurant, which is,

I must say, the dream of my life.

When a ship goes to sea
for the first time,

I know one breaks
a bottle of champagne.

But where should I break it here?

It's covered with mirrors.

I won't break a mirror!

Give me a bottle, I'll open it!

Mr. President!

Ladies and gentlemen!

Some elements of my menu.

You there, there.

Come on, sing, sing.

Align those glasses!

Pascal Ichak's French restaurant
has become famous.

Many gourmets went there.

Labaz Chaliapin, Rapine Natagor

The Romanian pilot Tchichua

and Sir Winston Churchill.

This is a saffron steamed sturgeon.

Duck with bitter almonds.

This is my favourite dish,

smoked tongue.

This is a pheasant with pistachios.

Come and see.
The best awaits us in this hole.

The roast piglet.

I ate it all.

Pascal, I want a big belly.

A big belly?

Like the wife of the Consul of France.

I want one like that.

Look, I finish this
and we go upstairs.

And why don't you marry me?

What's the point, I'm too old.

I forbid you to say that.

No, no, no, you can't do that.

- In Georgia, one always adds it.
- Yes, in Georgia, but I'm a French cook,

then no one bothers me when I work.

You know what?
You're really old.

An old dictator in the kitchen.

Do not bother me.
What's left to me?

After I met you,
I became your little puppy.

Always behind you,
I smile at your guests.

Who am I?

You pump us into the luggage
of great French chefs. (?)

- What's more, I am a hot-water bottle.
- A hot-water bottle.

A merry hot-water bottle to heat
the great Mr. French cook.

Gentlemen!

Everyone is leaving, we must leave too.

They shoot in the street.

Did you see,
they set fire to the restaurant of...

We inaugurated
the Eldorado two years ago.

We have worked well.

This is not the revolution
that worries me,

it is my ice box
which is not cold enough.

You know all those little Napoleon

running in the street,
killing, shooting,

who consider themselves
very important.

Where will they be tomorrow?

What is happening?
I am worried about you.

You could open a restaurant
in Istanbul, Vienna, Paris.

I am a small passing cloud.

Then one day I hung on
to the Caucasus Mountains.

I turned into rain, and I fell.

Now I cannot fly anymore.

I stay here.

Follow me!

Get up!

Fall in, quick!

Zigmund!

Attention!

Left!

Forward march!

Quick!

Right!

Forward march!

Bring the owner of the restaurant!

The Commander is coming!

Hi to you Comrade Commissar!

Get out!

Magnificent aquarium!

I want the fish fried!

They are 300 years old,
they are not edible.

This one, this one

and that one, fry them!

This wine has
the color of the Revolution!

Let's drink to our victory!

Ichak.

It's been 2 years
since we last met, hasn't it?

Where is my Thai fish?

Where are you going?

Hello!

This time, that's for sure,

you will be mine!

But who is this beauty?

Zigmund!

Bring her to me.

Who are you my dear?

Princess Abashidze.

Princess?

Why this proud voice?

Don't you know that we hang
the princes and the princesses,

to telegraph poles!

Tell Vano to come with his dog.

- Vano, his dog?
- With his dog, Vano.

Quick!

I stay with you.

Go upstairs at once
and shut the door.

Go, go!

Quick! Hurry!

Mr. General,

I cannot accept that you are served
a dish that is not edible.

A dog wouldn't eat it.

I'm not your ''Mr.'',

but Comrade Commissar Red!

I had to eat

what a dog would not eat!

As for Kamo, my comrade in war

for nine years,

he has been eating shit!

Serve them!

It's you we're talking to!

Is there a cold room here?

There's one! A big one!

Ah, it is big?

Well! Go D'Artagnan!

In the cold room!

Put him there!

Soldiers! Come!

Nodar, take care of this! Hurry up!

Make way!

Let's leave.

I do not wear jewellery.
Who do you steal it from?

This is my wedding gift.

What are you saying, I'm married!

I'll kill your French lover

with my own hands!

You won't do that!

- But before that...
- You won't!

Oh, and why not?

I will!

You too are cold?

Papa put his revolver in Mom's mouth.

Good!

Straighten to the left!

This is well!

It's all right, go, go.

- What shall I do of this meat?
- I don't care!

Get up! The wretched of the earth!

Get up! The prisoners of hunger!

Applaud!

This is a red wedding!

Pascal.

Pascal.

We should already be in Istanbul.

What do you need to understand?

You don't want
to leave your restaurant.

But you can make cakes
in your restaurant for my wedding.

And that does not bother you?

Be welcome Comrade Kolontai!

It's hot here.

In Moscow it's snowing!

Comrade Lenin asked me to come.

He got sick.

For me it is a pleasure.

I just love Georgia!

And especially men.

The famous ambassador from Moscow,
the great Kolontai,

came to Tbilisi for the celebrations
of the revolution.

And asked to go to the sulfur baths.

Before the Revolution, I was wild!

Boy!

To my great surprise, she started
talking about one of her former lovers,

Pascal Ichak.

She even knows our love story.

For her, all has to be shared between
Party comrades,

especially good lovers.

She demanded an appointment with him

and wanted to name him

head chef of the Red Army
in the Caucasus.

We were put on crowns of thorns.

We carried our heavy crosses

on our Golgotha!

The day will come
when they'll write about us

the red gospel!

Our Christ is Lenin!

Wait for me here,
until morning if necessary!

- Pascal.
- You.

Do you remember me?

I am...

Lili Chtelstein

- Kamarade Kolontai,
- Yes.

Mrs. Kolontai.

Princess Anne.

I am the German countess.

And you, the French baron.

General, my dear General!

Come, our chef has prepared the game!

Please, help yourself!

Stop!

Stop the car!

Don't look!

Bastard!

Pascal.

You did it on purpose?

I love you.

It is me who love you.

What have you done?

- You have eaten crows.
- Crows?

So Comrade General,
how is your stomach?

Terrible, Comrade Kolontai, terrible!

We shit on ourselves!

My God, Pascal, what should I do now.

I'm gonna kill that French bastard!

This pig forced us to shit in public.

Come.

Zigmund!
Don't hurt him!

Don't touch him!
You promised me!

You promised me!

Come bastard!
Come, I'll stick your nose in...

You promised me!

Where are you going?

Good!

I like it, I take it!

Leave everything as it is!

Shall we take the French too?

The French?

In the attic.

In the attic!

How beautiful it is here!
It's like being in Paris!

Let's try!

This is vinegar!

Pascal.

I have orders
not to let you get in here.

Don't come back!

But this is my restaurant.

It was, it was!

It's open.

I was in Baku.

It's getting from bad to worse.

You have to go away.

Do you remember of the (?)
that you've knocked out with a pig?

Now he is chief
of the political police.

You definitely have to leave.

Never.

Communism will disappear one day,
good cooking won't.

I requested to ask
for the Hapok meals.

Hapok?

Is it the Eldorado?

This is a decision of Moscow.

A new name for a new cooking.

I don't know what that means.

These smells are enough for me,
thank you.

Moukouzani, 1900

My favourite year.

You promised me to bring a notebook.

Yes, I have it.

Write.

Dear Friend

all day long

I inhale the smells
of your remarkable cooking.

Having devoted to the culinary art

most of my life

I allow myself to make a few remarks.

The Romanian aquin you prepared today

would have been better
if you had used spices and herbs

with a little more generosity.

I won't remind you
the basic principles.

Rosemary goes with mutton,

saffron with fish, oregano
with chicken, paprika with veal.

Regarding caloma,

I recommend

to mix, to rub meat

with a mixture of marjoram,
cumin, and...

Ginger.

Hello!

I have a letter for you

from the former owner
of this restaurant.

He apologizes,

he sent me

because he has sore legs.

I have sore legs too.

What's written? I can't read.

Pass me the towel.

He hasn't a damned thing to do!

And these whores hanging around here!

Shit!

A curious correspondence started,

and Pascal hadn't a clue.

I replied
to each of his letters to the cook.

You should reduce heat

so that the fish

will not boil.

When the fish is cooled,

top it

with a cranberry sauce.

With a cranberry sauce,
that's a good idea.

Obviously, the sauce must be
lightly sugared.

This is the marriage
of salt with sugar.

Thank you.

- No, no.
- Take it.

- Go on keeping them for me.
- Goodbye.

Thank you.

Dear Mr. cook,

I really respect your opinion.

I love you.

Can't you eat anything yet.

Let's go home?

Home.

I'll run a bath for you.

I love you.

Pascal.

Kill me.

Then, you'll kill yourself.

This will be so beautiful.

The masterpiece in a bed.

I am happy, I'm expecting a child
from my French lover.

I would like to shout it to the world,
but I keep quiet.

It's a boy.

I called him Anton.

One day I'll tell him.

Only to him,
it will remain our secret.

How strange,

I don't know why,

whenever I think of my mother,

she appears to me
as a bird lying in the snow.

How strange.

To pull the trigger
seemed too simple to him.

Zigmund had seen Hamlet
in the theater.

To pour mercury
into the ear of the old French cook,

seemed to him a good idea.

One cannot get mercury.

Never mind my dear!

You got a good idea to break
thermometers.

Ah, my little girl!

- But you know that it is a poison?
- Yes, be careful!

He asked Cecilia to get mercury

she had never understood why.

Oh, but how sad you are,
look at that.

How sad you are.
You need a little of water.

A little of water for me,
a little of water for you.

You shouldn't be sad,
because there is sun.

And maybe the Princess will come.

The Princess, yes.

Look at that!

I'm not happy,
you must grow, turn red.

Look at your big sisters.
Go ripe, do you know why?

Don't be afraid, I won't eat you.

Because you are
velvety like the skin of a princess.

A princess velouté, here.

That's what I have found,
a princess velouté.

He beat me to it!

And now...

Pascal used to say,

"take care of your appetite,

as of your loves."