Apple TV’s new French drama, Carême
, knows that the time to capitalize on the story of a gorgeous and notorious 19th-century chef is now. Dubbed “the first celebrity chef” by the biography the show is based on, Marie-Antoine Carême oscillates between an eccentric culinary bad boy and a soulful, sad young man as he makes a name for himself in every room he walks into. Brought to life by Benjamin Voisin, an actor who has no trouble settling into the pride and ingenuity of his character, Carême is heavy on plot and politics, but it relies on atmosphere to propel the story.
There’s little question that Carême has heightened the drama and intrigue that followed the cuisinier wherever he went. However, it’s not too much of a stretch of the imagination to believe that a man who cooked for the greatest kings of his day might have gotten tangled up in affairs of state. Of course, it’s his personal affairs we’re really interested in, as Carême has no trouble connecting the dots between food, sex, and power; these are the characters’ favorite subjects. Each episode sees Carême use his food or his body to worm his way out of the drama.
Carême The Show Is As Decadent & Seductive As Its Title Character
In Every Aspect Of The Story, Carême Pushes Itself To Excess
Set in the early 1800s, just before Napoleon was crowned Emperor of France, Carême takes the setting and upheaval of this period of history and makes it as glamorous and dangerous as possible. For fans of period pieces, Carême is a visual feast that delights in the decadence of its time, focusing on how much our senses determine our experience. The series gets off to a rocky start, as there’s a lot of ground to cover, and the pacing moves at breakneck speed, trying to get Carême to the right place at the right time.
This makes the first few episodes a little hard to follow as we try to parse through the personal and political information thrown our way. However, by episode 3, Carême has a clear sense of itself and has settled into the essential structure that carries it through the remainder of the season. Our beloved chef has a new task in each installment, and the answer always comes from a place of creativity, which takes many forms for Carême. He successfully seduces the other characters as soon as he enters the room, to no one’s surprise.
Though a lot happens in each episode as the story hurtles toward the finale of the eight-episode season, each plot point is quickly resolved, making way for the more stylish parts of the narrative. Since Carême is so dedicated to bringing the intricacies of food and love to life, the more dramatic and serious story elements don’t feel as important. It’s interesting to see Carême complete his spy work, but we’re just waiting for him to return to the kitchen or to the tense flirtation he shares with every scene partner.
Though he’s arrogant and impulsive, Carême is a good protagonist and falls into the category of the classically tortured genius we’ll never get tired of watching.
Audiences shouldn’t expect a historically accurate exploration of Carême’s life or an accurate portrait of France, but the anachronisms are half the fun of watching Carême. It’s a France and a history that never truly existed, but it’s enormously enjoyable to dive into this heightened past and pretend that it might have. Voisin is joined by Jérémie Renier as Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, referred to simply as Talleyrand, and the pair play off each other nicely. It’s clear that everyone involved in the project is excited to share this world with us.
Though he’s arrogant and impulsive, Carême is a good protagonist and falls into the category of the classically tortured genius we’ll never get tired of watching. The deeper, moody aspects of his character give him some dimension, and while I didn’t fully believe his motivations and wild emotional swings, they match the overall tone of the series. To our modern eyes, it seems normal that a chef would be this untamed, seductive creature, but to the characters in the show, he’s unlike anything they’ve ever seen.
Carême Might Prioritize Style, But It’s An Aesthetic Worth Getting Sucked Into
Though Convoluted, The Plot Of Carême Serves To Deliver The Delicious Style Of The Show
Carême is the perfect diversion to spend the next few weeks with, transporting viewers to a place and time where everything was more extravagant. There’s something for everyone throughout the ups and downs of Carême, whether this is the romance, the cooking, or the scandalous betrayals to be expected within the international government. It’s easy to criticize the project for choosing style over substance, but the plot of Carême serves the same purpose as the whipped creams and puff pastries the chef uses in his dishes. It’s an invitation to get sucked into the world and stay for a while.
Though Carême isn’t groundbreaking, the series understands that this isn’t the kind of story that’s going to reinvent the period genre. Instead, Carême focuses on being the best iteration of the romance-drama narrative that it can be, reveling in the betrayals and intrigue as the characters seduce each other and the audience. For viewers interested in watching Carême, it will be easy to suspend your disbelief and let the series work its magic. Though sex and scandal are commonplace on television these days, Carême reinvigorates them, making them relevant and entertaining, if not always fresh.