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Umami
Umami
Directed by	Slony Sow
Written by	Slony Sow
Starring	Gérard Depardieu; Sandrine Bonnaire; Pierre Richard; Rod Paradot; Bastien Bouillon;
Music by	Frédéric Holyszewski
Production; companies	Oliver-Frost Films, Slony Pictures, Sunny Side Up Never, Nompareille Productions
Release date	28 January 2022 (Premiers Plans Angers);
Running time	103 minutes (original version); 92 minutes (shorter version);
Countries	France; Japan;
Languages	French; Japanese;
Box office	$206,530

Umami is a 2022 French-Japanese film starring Gérard Depardieu as a French chef who travels to Japan to find a rival chef who once defeated him in a prestigious competition.^[2]^[3] It was written and directed by French director Slony Sow and filmed during the start of the Covid-19 period in Hokkaido, Japan (February 2020) and the Loire region in France (June 2020) after physical production was halted in France in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Due to the closure of cinemas during the Covid-19 period, the film's commercial theatrical release was delayed until February 2023. The film was shown in festivals and released worldwide in its original version of 103 minutes except in France where a shorter version (92 minutes) was reviewed and released.

Plot

Gabriel Carvin, a Michelin-starred chef from Saumur, is awarded his third crystal star by a culinary critic. The same evening, his wife, Louise, leaves him. This brutal separation triggers a family crisis. For Gabriel, the overflow strikes him to the heart. To clear his mind, he goes to Japan, which will allow him to reconnect with the simple pleasures of friendship and try to discover the mysteries of umami, the fifth taste of the palate.

Cast

Gérard Depardieu : Gabriel Carvin
Sandrine Bonnaire : Louise Carvin
Pierre Richard : Rufus
Rod Paradot : Nino Carvin
Bastien Bouillon : Jean Carvin
You : Noriko
Kyōzō Nagatsuka : Tetsuichi Morita
Eriko Takeda : Fumi Morita
Kyōko Koizumi : Taya
Antoine Duléry : Robert
Zinedine Soualem : Mohamad
Assa Sylla : la bookeuse

Production

Written and Directed by: Slony Sow
Director of Photography: Denis Louis
Music: Frédéric Holyszewski with a special appearance by Sugizo
Costumes: Dorothée Lissac, Mari Miyamoto
Producers: Lucas Oliver-Frost, Slony Sow
- Co-Producers: Jean-Maurice Belayche, Evelyne Inuzuka, Yoshikazu Gahier
- Executive Producer: Alex Dong
Production Companies: Oliver-Frost Films, Slony Pictures
- Associated Production Companies: Sunny Side Up Never, Nompareille Productions

Reception

Comparing Umami to films including Babel and Tampopo, a review in Stuff called it "a whimsical film that stays on the right side of cloying".^[4] Le Figaro Magazine (Pierre de Boishue) on May 12, 2023 reviewed the film with two stars, describing it as "a taste of radiance" with "so many ingredients that give the whole thing a refreshing taste".^[5]

The original (103 minute) version of the film appeared at the Festival International du Film de Comédie de Liège,^[6] the Oslo Films from the South Festival,^[7] the Alliance Française French Film Festival in Australia and in Chicago,^[8] the vOilah! French Film Festival in Singapore^[9] and was the festival opening film at the Fribourg International Film Festival^[10] and Yokohama International Film Festival.^[11]

The original version of Umami opened theatrically in Germany (under the title Der Geschmack der kleinen Dinge)^[12] on February 9, 2023 initially on 142 screens, increasing to 147 screens in following weeks due to its positive reception.^[13] The film remained in German cinemas until the week of January 14, 2024.^[14]

During promotion of the film for its French theatrical release, on March 5, 2023 the website Mediapart released a report^[15] alleging sexual assault by Gérard Depardieu, followed by a report alleging sexual violence by the website Libération on March 24, 2023.^[16] The "Depardieu Sings Barbara" concerts were met with protests by feminist organizations against Depardieu and concert attendees.[1]

On May 17, 2023 a shortened (92 minute) version of Umami opened in France on 251 screens, to poor box office results and generally negative reviews. The film was refused by French television stations and streaming services due to the allegations made against Gérard Depardieu.

Depardieu penned an open letter in Le Figaro newspaper denying all the charges on October 1, 2023.^[17]

Umami (original version) was released theatrically in Switzerland, Belgium (short version), Taiwan, the Netherlands, Spain, Colombia, Israel, Singapore, Estonia, Hong Kong, Bulgaria, Mexico, Italy, Hungary, Austria, Australia and New Zealand. It was not released theatrically in the US, UK and Canada due to the Depardieu allegations. The original version of the film was released online in Russia and China.

The film's original version appeared as in-flight entertainment on airlines including Delta Airlines, QANTAS, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Corsair, Air India, Vietnam Airlines, EVA Air, WestJet, China Airlines, Gulf Air, Etihad, Qatar Airlines, and Air France (Air France releasing the short version).