The sumptuous Carême hits two basic needs for a high-end television series. One is for sex, but the other is rarer in fictional television: food porn. This combination is an absolutely wonderful idea, because god knows our appetite for something good to eat doesn’t always get its due from a visual format. And it’s a great hook for a programme, because the stress of getting dinner on the table on time is heightened when you are cooking for the most powerful people in France.
And if that double gimmick wasn’t enough, Carême has two further feathers in its cap. Firstly it is inspired by the life of a real person, Marie-Antoine “Antonin” Carême, an incredibly influential cook in the early 1800s who created many of the kitchen methods which still continue as standard. And secondly, it asks the terrific question what if this famous and respected cook also worked as a spy.
This has all been brought together by Martin Bourboulon, the director who recently stormed the French box office with the pair of The Three Musketeers blockbusters. He has a true gift for finding modernity in old stories which includes, unusual for France, centering a diverse cast without making a huge fuss of it. English author and actor Ian Kelly (who played Hermione’s dad in the Harry Potter movies) co-created the show with Davide Serino as an adaptation of his biography of Carême, Cooking for Kings. Mr. Serino serves as the show’s head writer while Mr. Bourboulon is responsible for the artistic production, which presumably includes all the mouthwatering food. And this is all to explore a fresh concept indeed: food is an expression of power. Whether it’s using rare ingredients, the beauty of how it is served or the ability to focus on how it looks in addition to how it tastes, Carême is interested in how what we put into our bodies like this can influence both our personal and our political choices. This political angle is emphasised with the final shot under the title credits, of a white tiered wedding cake exploding a la the opening sequence of The Good Fight.
Of course, Antonin (a remarkable Benjamin Voisin, whose easy grin and open manner beautifully walks the very fine line between charming confidence and infuriating arrogance) is a little bit blunter, such as when he tells his girlfriend Henriette (Lyna Khoudri, a frequent collaborator with Mr. Bourboulon, who directed this episode himself) during a bit of rooftop foreplay “I want to make everyone come with my cooking.” Antonin is working for his adopted father Bailly (Vincent Schmitt), one of the best patisserie makers and restauranteurs in Paris, who has always encouraged Antonin’s expertise in the kitchens. Early on Antonin mentions the five fine arts: painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and architecture, under which cooking falls, at least the way he does it. For her part Henriette is lady’s maid to Catherine (Sigrid Bouaziz), the mistress of Talleyrand (Belgian superstar Jérémie Renier), a leading politician and one of the most famous men in France. He is also a former bishop, and the presence of his adult son Charles (Pablo Cobo) might help explain why he left the church for politics.
But it’s through his work in his father’s kitchens that Antonin is offered a job working for Napoleon, though he immediately and politely refuses it. His politics are clear as he’s already instigated a bar fight with a group of Napoleon’s soldiers for the sheer thrill of it. While Napoleon is seen onscreen and his presence haunts every episode, his face is largely hidden and he does not speak. This ensures Carême‘s focus is not on the power itself but on the machinations of all these people who are close to this power instead. It’s a bold decision which allows the show’s focus to remain on how pleasure influences power, and not the other way around.
After Bailly is arrested Antonin takes the job working for Bonaparte, where he quickly meets Agathe (Alice da Luz), the only black person and the only woman working as a chef in the kitchen. She’s a superb cook and can tell the difference between Antonin’s whipped creams – professionally, of course, though his smile when he realises will probably lead to something else. And once Talleyrand realises that the bold young man who asked for help getting his father out of prison is working in Napoleon’s household, he starts using Antonin’s talents for more devious diplomatic ends. For men are ruled by only two emotions, Talleyrand says, “Fear, and pleasure.” This involves Josephine (Maud Wyler) and Antonin agrees without hesitation if it will help his papa. But our open-hearted hero quickly learns nothing is straightforward, especially when the the Parisian chief of police, Fouché (Micha Lescot), gets involved.
Arnaud Roth’s production design swoops between high and low Paris with the greatest of ease, and it’s clear the season’s focus will be on how Antonin gets himself into and out of trouble at the highest levels thanks to his talents, and not just with food. The set up makes Antonin an incredibly likable hero and the peril he and his father are in guarantees a great hook for the season. Mr. Voisin is clearly capable of holding the whole show together and it’s delightful to watch something so confident in its ability to please.
One final thing: for a show with this much sex in it, in this episode there is no nudity. Even with an act of cunnilingus before its first two minutes are up, the fevered eroticism keeps its clothes on, meaning it is absolutely appropriate for older teenagers.
Carême is now streaming on Wednesdays on Apple TV+.
Learn more about the show, including how to watch, on the official site for the title.
You might also like…
Review: ‘The Three Musketeers: Milady’ Concludes Martin Bourboulon’s Grand Epic