Synopsis

In 1671, financially strained Prince de Conde invites Louis XIV and the royal court to an extravagant three-day celebration at Chantilly. He places the event in the hands of his brilliant and exacting steward, Francois Vatel. As Vatel struggles to create spectacles worthy of the king, court politics, personal ambition, and his growing love for Anne de Montausier threaten to overwhelm his carefully ordered world.

Factoids & Trivia

• The film is inspired by the real Francois Vatel, who organized an elaborate 1671 celebration for Louis XIV at the Chateau de Chantilly. Historical accounts connect Vatel's death to the delayed arrival of seafood during the festivities.

• Vatel was selected as the opening film of the 2000 Cannes Film Festival and screened out of competition.

• The lavish production design earned Jean Rabasse and set decorator Francoise Benoit-Fresco an Academy Award nomination for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.

• Rabasse won the 2001 Cesar Award for Best Production Design, while costume designer Yvonne Sassinot de Nesle also received a Cesar nomination.

• Ennio Morricone composed the score and incorporated music associated with the Baroque era, including works by Jean-Philippe Rameau and George Frideric Handel.

• The film uses the expression "Chantilly cream," although the name itself was not recorded until roughly a century after the events depicted.