Original subtitles

Don't worry, they'll be much taller.

- You'll do how many? - Five.

A total of 1,700 puffs per cake...

so nobody is left wanting more.

But what really matters is one particular puff.

Just one.

Which contains what?

Nothing he will feel.

Just a slight tickling sensation from inside his throat.

But once he feels it, it's already too late.

Then the first symptoms begin to appear.

Some headaches, fatigue, nausea.

For two or three days.

The last day will be excruciating.

Suffocation is probably the cruelest kind of death.

You're so determined.

I sure am.

You know, I may miss him, our good man Fouché.

[Talleyrand chuckles]

Coronation

[Agathe] Perch in hollandaise sauce.

Pike in champagne sauce.

Lobster Bellevue.

Escargots in parsley butter.

Goose, stuffed and larded.

Mallard duck roasted with honey and apples.

Beef Rossini."

Put the meat in the oven at four o'clock.

A minute's delay and we're in trouble.

[Liliane] I know. The vegetables go in at 6.

No. Make the vegetables two hours earlier. Same time as the meat.

Impossible. We won't have enough dishes for the oven.

Find a solution. Use some pots and pans. Leave them uncovered.

Start the bread dough.

We'll begin baking at four in the morning.

The ovens are full until then.

Alright.

And the fish?

Tell me why I'm not seeing anyone preparing my fish!

If we don't put it in before eight, there will be no time for the bread.

We're waiting for it to arrive.

The boss too, actually.

Get to work! Time to move it!

- Let's move, Noël. Come on. - Okay, let's get going.

PASSPORT

[Henriette] They look real.

"Monsieur Germain Ledoux. Architect."

- How do you do? - [chuckles]

The kitchen's waiting for me.

I have to prepare the banquet.

See you back here tomorrow?

What?

Do you expect me to sit here and quietly wait?

You haven't planned to attend?

How could I miss seeing you triumph?

No, no, no, it's dangerous. I forbid you.

Nobody'll recognize me.

I said no. We'll meet up after the banquet. Come on.

What are you doing?

Stop.

No, no, no.

Please, I have to go.

Since when do you put work before us?

Did you sleep with anyone while I was gone?

No.

The princess.

Liliane?

Yes.

[chuckles]

Agathe?

Agathe. Silly me.

If you don't fall in love with her,

I won't make a scene about it.

It's time to go. They need you.

If it's you asking.

Oops.

How could I forget?

Please may I have your hand, Mademoiselle?

[chuckles]

Thank you.

[door closes]

[Carême] How are we doing?

Welcome to your kitchen.

Beautiful.

No. That row is off.

- These ones are crooked. - [Agathe] Ah.

Make new puffs and stick them on.

[cane thudding]

I expected it to be taller.

Ah, those delusions of grandeur.

- They'll finish you off. - Bonaparte will.

He wants a larger banquet.

What do you mean?

People from across the country will come to this event.

He wants a party for all of France.

How many people?

Five thousand.

Five thousand? But we planned for five hundred.

Your new budget's unlimited.

Money isn't the problem this time.

We already emptied all of our stocks.

Les Halles, Montmartre, Vaugirard, Popincourt.

- Even if we... - Now find a solution.

Impossible. There's no way.

Don't forget François Vatel

who killed himself after he ruined a meal for his king.

He wasn't to blame.

I believe the seafood was delivered late.

And surprisingly, that merchant was spared.

Please do as I ask. Hmm?

Beautiful. So what now?

We need to find more people.

Noël?

Fetch all the cooks you know.

Lamotte, Perquin, Bouligniers, Perricourt.

Tell them it's the chance of a lifetime.

- All right. I'm on it, boss. - Hurry.

[Talleyrand] The imperial table with the Bonaparte family.

The soldiers and the diplomats will sit here,

and you, Lord Jenkinson, will be with us.

- Very close to the emperor. - [Jenkinson] Hmm.

Not near the soldiers, who are quite far.

Is this your way of passing me a subtle message?

Bonaparte no longer fights.

Well, I doubt it.

- Once a soldier, always a soldier. - [Catherine chuckles]

France is very different since he came to power.

No more celebrating storming the Bastille.

The republican calendar and the Marseillaise were abolished.

Emperor Napoleon isn't Bonaparte, General of the Revolution.

See for yourself.

Take my word for it.

I have spent years working for this.

For peace.

- I will take your word. - Hmm.

But I believe the word should be banned from the mouths of diplomats.

[all chuckle]

What concerns Bonaparte is his place in history.

I'll show him which one to pick.

Europe, each country wants peace.

- Can we make a little change over there? - Mm-hmm.

[Carême] Every army has its uniform.

Here are your aprons. They're for you and for your brigades.

I've also added hats.

I'm tired of finding hairs in the food that I make.

- Huh. Thanks. - Five thousand people.

What do we do? We don't have enough food for everyone.

Any ideas?

What about bean soup?

[cooks laugh]

It fills the belly.

Thank you, Lamotte. I doubt Napoleon wants beans.

No, we'll make the same menu,

but only for the hundred most important people.

All the Bonapartes, diplomats, consuls, peers of France.

For the rest, we'll make some magic.

Some magic?

If we mince the meat, it'll go further.

And mix it up with bread, flour and eggs, adding more of each.

- Yes, Perquin? - What about the presentation?

For the presentation, we'll make bouchées.

Little tarts. Baby croquettes.

The guests will go to the buffet and serve themselves.

[cooks mutter]

Excuse me for not bowing down before your genius.

What's on your mind?

The presentation won't be perfect.

What she means is that it may look like small turds.

[all laugh]

Let's settle the content first.

And I'll manage the form.

I requested to have tents installed.

Tents equipped with army kitchens.

Every cook, joined by their brigade,

will have to have their own 500 meals to prepare.

Later, you need to go to the Champs-Élysées to prepare the menus.

Agathe, you will be in charge of the imperial table.

As for me, I'll be busy myself coordinating

and making sure it's not total confusion.

You with me?

[cooks] Yes, sir.

No, louder. Speak louder.

[all] Yes!

Yes...

Chef.

The top cook who commands all the others is the chef.

[all] Yes, Chef!

Sounds pretty good, huh? Get to work!

Hey, what's that?

So people will see me from afar.

[Liliane] This coronation has gone to your head.

I want everything ready in half an hour, people.

[cooks] Yes, Chef!

Here. For you.

Best of luck, Chef.

Over there. Lucien.

- Hello, sir. - My pleasure. Hortense.

- Holy Father. - About time, I'd say.

Monsieur.

Thank you.

This isn't your table, Monsieur. So sorry.

Impossible. Please check.

No. Order from the emperor. You're seated over there.

Follow me, please.

If I'd known, I'd have brought binoculars.

When I think of everything I did to make that Corsican midget an emperor.

How dare he ditch us.

Madame, Monsieur.

My, you're quite far from your creature.

What a surprise.

Count of the French Empire.

The first in your family. Well done. Especially for a Jacobin.

Tell me, how many people did you have to behead to become nobility?

Today is your protégé's big day.

Time to bestow honors on one of you at least.

Finally you'll sample his cuisine.

You're in for a special treat, I promise.

Ah!

[guests applauding]

It's time for me to go and sit at our emperor's table.

Mmm.

I'll pop by for dessert.

You do that.

[cheering and applause]

[guest] Long live Napoleon!

Long live the emperor!

[guest 2] Long live France!

[guest 3] Long live Napoleon!

[guest 4] Long live the emperor!

[guest 5] Long live France!

[guest 6] Long live Napoleon!

They totally fucked with us.

- Excuse me, sir. - Yes?

I have something to show you.

- Right now? - Right now.

Hmm.

[speaking indistinctly]

[Jenkinson] Let's keep this between us. Thank you.

Something wrong?

Tell me just one thing, Talleyrand.

Were you purposefully feeding me lies?

Or don't you have even a smidgen of power over your... creature?

What in the devil do you mean?

Minted in London with the face of Napoleon.

Mm-hmm.

1805.

For the coming year.

- You must be joking. - Oh, no.

It's from the secret service.

Those men don't make jokes.

Not only is your peace-loving emperor planning to invade us,

he believes that he will win.

This is meaningless. It's just a coin.

Why, pray tell, construct flat-bottomed boats

made to transport a cannon and a hundred men across the Channel?

You idiot.

NAPOLEON EMP. AND KING

Men...

Attack!

Higher.

Magnificent.

Agathe, you man the imperial table. I'll work the rest.

Noël, follow me.

What? You plan to check each table?

Today, everybody eats like a prince.

[Noël] They seem satisfied.

"Seem" isn't enough. I need them to "be" satisfied.

Good. Come on.

I don't know who did the cooking, but I expected better.

Would you like a taste?

Why are you here?

To celebrate, like everybody.

- What is that? - Ah.

Be right back.

Hello, Monsieur.

Goodbye.

[Carême] Noël!

Does it say fennel on here?

Answer me.

No.

- Then why put some in? - The dill didn't seem strong enough.

And since I heard you won the competition

by using chicken instead of veal

- for the Marengo recipe... - Whatever. Enough. Thanks.

Excuse me.

Make this.

Not very difficult.

There.

Here's what I want.

[Carême sighs]

What we've done here is magnificent.

No?

Agathe?

What's wrong?

Very bad timing. We have to get back.

What do you mean, bad timing?

It's Henriette. Isn't it?

- You saw her? - She means nothing to me, not a thing.

That's not true. Stop saying that.

[Carême sighs]

I'm pregnant.

So be responsible, please, for once, and give me those herbs.

No, but you can't...

Do not force me to have this baby. I can't have it.

No unwed mothers work in a kitchen.

I have worked for years like a madwoman

so people may forget I'm Black.

Born to slaves with nobody to help me out.

I'm sorry.

Now finally, when I have almost made it, I'd be losing it all.

- I'm so sorry. You hear? - [footsteps approaching]

Everyone's looking for you.

Time to finish the tiered cakes.

Come on!

[sighs]

[breathes heavily]

- My ladies. - [woman] You wait here, Your Majesty.

- [man] Shall we toast? - [man 2] Indeed.

No, no, no, no, no, gentlemen. Really, don't mind me, please.

[chuckles]

[chuckles]

Imagine, what would Louis do if he knew the truth?

I love your daughter, and she loves me.

How naive of you.

I expected my beloved girl to be smarter when it comes to choosing lovers.

However, your bravery and daring shall soon be put to much better use.

You'll be going to war.

Your father believed he could control my husband.

But no one can.

I won't abandon you.

Do you like it?

[all] Yes, Chef!

Yes, Chef.

[guests laughing]

[guest] Oh, look! Look! Oh!

[crowd gasping, chattering]

[guests] Bravo!

[applause continues]

Excuse me.

Where is he?

Licking his wounds.

Yes, just when you think you've reached the top,

all of a sudden you fall to the ground.

What are you saying?

Napoleon's preparing a war.

It seems men can't settle for success.

They feel the need to crush all of their peers.

He went that way.

Are you hiding?

Love gives bad advice, as I told you.

I should have heeded my words.

I loved Bonaparte in a way.

His spirit, his determination, his...

his might.

I believed in him.

And in the end...

I've been fucked over.

Here, I made it for you.

You'll feel better.

What will really make me feel better

is knowing that for once in my life,

I can simply tend to my garden.

Now, now. Pull yourself together. Don't be discouraged.

Mmm.

The cream is luscious.

Mmm.

A masterpiece.

And you? Are you finally satisfied?

- Yes. - Hmm.

Bailly is avenged.

Hmm?

I finally poisoned my enemy.

[coughs]

[gags, coughs]

[panting]

How dare you! Huh?

I'll have you killed!

I mean it! Dead man!

[coughs]

Careful. Careful.

- Careful. - [coughs]

[panting]

[coughs, groans]

[gasps, groans]

I know you're the man behind Bailly's murder.

Help!

[panting]

Courtiade told lies to get Bailly arrested.

This way, you could make me spy at Tuileries.

I'll have you executed!

[panting]

- What would that change? - [panting]

Soon you'll breathe no more.

In three days.

Uh...

You will see.

You will miss me.

[panting]

Are you my father?

[panting]

[Talleyrand groans]

You want to know if I slept with your mother?

Yes.

Was I the only one?

No.

You're repulsive.

When she passed,

I handed over to Bailly an absurd sum of money

to feed you and give you a proper education.

Why him?

He worked for me. He made great éclairs.

It fit nicely.

If you are my son, it's impossible to know.

But what's more important?

Hmm?

That my blood runs in your veins?

Or that you're like me?

And that I'm proud of you.

As a father would be of his son.

I have no father.

And I never will.

There was no poison.

Just some ginger.

And a bit of pepper.

You're mistaken.

I am not like you.

I won't kill you.

Death would be too easy.

Bravo.

Worthy of a Talleyrand.

[Carême scoffs]

[guests chattering, laughing]

I won't make it.

Agathe is pregnant.

I'm sorry.

I can't orphan a child of mine.

Well, you may become a great man.

But you'll never be a good man.

It'll be all right.

It'll be all right.

[sighs]

- [knocks on door] - [Fouché] Yes?

My Lord Minister, there's someone to see you.

[Henriette] It's Count Fouché now.

Is it not?

Do you actually long for your own execution?

You haven't managed to find me.

You may arrest me.

Or better, you may put me to work.

What do you want?

I want that fool of a cook. He must suffer.

A woman scorned is the most deadly weapon.

PASTRY SHOP CARÊME

[Carême] More to the right. Five centimeters.

[worker] What do you mean, to the right?

Well, you know, the right.

It'll never hold.

Thankfully he's a pastry chef, not an architect.

There. Leave it there. That's perfect.

- Perfect. - [horse approaching]

Antonin Carême?

That's me.

What's wrong?

It's from the recruiting board.

What?

Impossible. There must be an error.

He's being drafted.

After Galliffet and everything we achieved,

will you be content with...

this?

What bothers you most?

Becoming Bailly or... or this letter?

Well informed, as always.

I'm also being sent to the front.

I'll be responsible for supplies.

Bonaparte's punishment for daring to question his war.

What's it to me, huh?

You could be a soldier gambling your life on a roll of the dice,

or...

I could cook for you?

[chuckles]

My orders are to feed high command.

That's all?

And to sort out whatever France may need.

She used to need Bonaparte.

Today, she needs him to be gone.

The weather vane isn't turning.

The wind is.

[chuckles]

Well spoken.

Go to hell, Monsieur.

I'll see you there, I guess.

- [soldier] Get moving there! - [explosion]

- [soldiers shouting] - [explosions]

Subtitling: DUBBING BROTHERS