40
Vatel, a no-expense-spared costumer, is further proof that all the money and technical expertise in the world are no substitutes for a good screenplay and creative direction.
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What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
50
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
Depardieu gives the story a firm center of gravity, aided by Joffé's eye for colorful settings and period detail.
70
L.A. Weekly by Hazel-Dawn Dumpert
While the filmmakers are not above corset-drama bed-hopping and back-stabbing, it's delicious when the beds and backs belong to Uma Thurman, Tim Roth and Julian Sands.
50
New York Daily News by Jami Bernard
Too much chaos, not enough heart. Bad for the digestion.
50
Village Voice by Jessica Winter
Vatel is dull and silly, but the holiday season doesn't offer a better sets-and-costumes workshop.
50
New York Post by Jonathan Foreman
Although Vatel is trying to say something about freedom and gilded cages, it feels more like a behind-the-scenes look at the high-end catering business.
70
You could hardly ask for more from a historical spectacle: Silly wigs, plunging décolletage, lavish banquets in ornate halls, a stirring score from Ennio Morricone and witty dialogue by Tom Stoppard.
90
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
Boldly distinctive in its depiction of individuals caught up in a veritable infernal machine designed solely to give pleasure to a monarch, Vatel is a timeless tale of love and sacrifice in a world as opulent as it is cruel.
63
The satire is surprisingly tepid.
10
Rolling Stone by Peter Travers
This putrid dish marks a new low for director Roland Joffe.