Kings of Pastry is an excellent choice for a documentary - the highest single award in French patisserie, the culinary Everest, the pinnacle of a career, the Olympic Gold for chocolate and sugar. And the skill is astonishing.
Its choice of soundtrack which is very Django and Hot Jazz 5 suits it well - this is a confectionery - a little too sweet, and not enough sweat - we see the huge effort in one sense that is required to become a MOF, but the film is so unobtrusive that it never really gets fully inside the world until the last 30 minutes. Without spoilers, there is an expected twist that lifts the whole documentary.
I would have liked some interviews with past MOFs, or some real detail of the secrets of the patisserie. The clip of French President, Sarkozy, praising the previous MOFs was telling, and something more was required to lift this from good to great.
All in all, pretty, light, and well made - but in the main lacks the depth that would take it from confectionery to main course....
Its choice of soundtrack which is very Django and Hot Jazz 5 suits it well - this is a confectionery - a little too sweet, and not enough sweat - we see the huge effort in one sense that is required to become a MOF, but the film is so unobtrusive that it never really gets fully inside the world until the last 30 minutes. Without spoilers, there is an expected twist that lifts the whole documentary.
I would have liked some interviews with past MOFs, or some real detail of the secrets of the patisserie. The clip of French President, Sarkozy, praising the previous MOFs was telling, and something more was required to lift this from good to great.
All in all, pretty, light, and well made - but in the main lacks the depth that would take it from confectionery to main course....