Marie-Antoinette (2006)
Sofia Coppola’s sumptuous 2006 smash Marie-Antoinette isn’t a food film as such, but contains some of the most tantalising food scenes in cinema history. I’d expect nothing less from a movie about a queen most famous for uttering, “let them eat cake” to her starving subjects. A more accurate translation suggests that she actually said, “let them eat brioche”, which is only marginally less out of touch.
In once scene our queen is seen lounging on a pale blue and white chaise-longue in a pale pink dress with more layers than a mille-feuille. On a table beside her are dozens of sweet treats with intricate icing dotted with raspberries and rose petals. Parisian macaron maker Ladurée collaborated with Coppola on the film, creating a new flavour in honour of the ill-fated monarch. The Marie-Antoinette macaron marries Chinese black tea with rose petals, citrus fruits and honey.
In addition to fancy fondants, the film also includes spectacular savoury banquettes enjoyed by Marie-Antoinette (played perfectly by Kirsten Dunst) and Louis XVI (a well-mannered Jason Schwartzman), featuring pyramids of langoustines, pastry dragons and plentiful platters of scallops.
